


Pomegranates

by Layora88



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Birthday Presents, Blindness, Bucky is love, Bucky is such a sweetheart, Children's Books, Coffee Shop, Dancing, Deceit, Dirty Talk, Eventual Smut, Facial, Happy Ending, Hints of possessiveness, Hurt/Comfort, Iron Man Suit - Freeform, Little bit of angst, Loki is a meddler, Love Confessions, Magic, Mentions of Verbal/Physical/Emotional Abuse, Multi, Oral Sex, Pining, Rough Sex, Singing, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut and Fluff, The sexy kind, Tony is such a cheeky bastard and we all love him, Tony's workshop, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, We love to hate magic, but only temporary, gala - Freeform, seeing eye dog, so much fluff!, so much pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-01-09 04:50:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 151,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12269259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Layora88/pseuds/Layora88
Summary: A young woman stumbles across a lovely man in a nice suit and promptly spills coffee all over him. This is a coffee shop meet-cute that no one asked for where lovely things happen and sad things too, but it all works out, I promise! Also, I suck at summaries. xD





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> So I put this story on hold a while back because I kept getting distracted by other stories I wanted to start...but someone pushed me to keep going, so thank you! And now I'm posting this with chapters, because I figure it'll force me to actually finish it and make all of you lovely people happy. So enjoy! I will be updating the tags as I post more chapters.

“Sorry!” A young woman’s voice gasped in clear surprise.

She’d very nearly been knocked to the floor by a passerby that hadn’t seen her, nor she, him. The man who had quite literally, run into her was muttering quick apologies of his own as he pried his now soaked blazer away from his shirt, thankful he had been wearing one to begin with. Coffee was hot, _who knew?_

“I’m so sorry, miss. I wasn’t watching where I was going,” He said hastily, waving his cellphone in front of him to show her what had distracted him before pocketing it.

The young woman laughed, but it sounded strained and it quickly drew his attention. He met her gaze then, or at least, tried to. She was wearing sunglasses and his brows furrowed curiously. They were indoors and really, he wasn’t one to judge; even he’d wear sunglasses indoors first thing on a Monday morning on occasion, but it just seemed a little odd to him. But before he could open his mouth to speak and ask her if she was alright, she started apologizing again.

“Neither was I, I’m so sorry. My cup feels half empty, it’s probably soaked your clothes right through,” She said apologetically, her lips curving into an awful frown.

And again, before he could voice another apology, there was an odd sort of whining coming from between them. He glanced down curiously and his eyes widened in surprise. There was a lovely golden retriever with big brown doe eyes staring up at him, tail wagging and looking at him expectantly. 

And then he saw the bright red service dog vest with the bolded lettering; _Seeing Eye Dog on Duty Please Do Not Pet_. “Oh-“ He said on a rush of air and then again far more shocked as realization settled in; “ _Oh_ -I am so _so_ sorry, Miss. I should have been watching where I was going. _Here_ , please-let me help you-“ He said apologetically, glancing down to her hand that was covered in what looked like splashes of hot milk.

She smiled nervously, but it appeared tight and he hated himself for making her feel uncomfortable. He grabbed a few napkins from the coffee prep station by their side and went to remove the cup from her grasp. She reluctantly let him and he lifted her hand and started to dab up the mess.

“It’s okay, _really_ -you don’t have to-“ She started timidly, but was interrupted by the man’s soft sigh.

“Please, this is all my fault. I am so sorry. I really should have been more careful,” He told her earnestly, still grasping her hand lightly in his.

She swallowed hard and nodded, unsure of what else to say. His hand felt warm and calloused; work worn hands and she let him continue to dab up the spilt milk for a moment or two longer. When she thought he’d gotten it all, she carefully withdrew her hand and gave him a nervous smile. 

“Thank you, it’s really okay though. It was definitely my fault anyway,” She said, her chin dipping towards the floor.

“Oh no you don’t-“ He said, his eyes wide in surprise. “It most certainly was not. _I_ was the one fiddling around on my phone and not paying attention to where I was going. So please don’t blame yourself for this.”

He glanced around them then and saw a couple of the coffee shop’s patrons looking at them curiously, including the two owners he knew quite well. He smiled over at the pair and motioned to the plump older woman who was then coming around the counter to see if she could be of any assistance.

“Here, let me buy you another coffee. It was a chai latte, wasn’t it?” The man said with a light chuckle.

The young woman shook her head quickly. “Oh no, you don’t have to do that. There’s still plenty in the cup, I’m sure,” She said hastily.

“No, there isn’t. I’m buying you a new latte, it’s the least I can do,” He told her with a warm smile.

She bit her lower lip nervously in response and was then surprised to hear a soft voice from behind her. “What can I do to help?” The plump older woman asked lightly.

“I think we could use a refill on the chai latte, Gloria. And how about the biggest, sweetest cup of coffee you can make me, dearest?” He cooed.

The young woman before him smiled shyly, surprised that he knew the owner’s name and seemed so familiar with her. “Of course, Mr-“ Gloria started, only to be interrupted by the man. 

“ _Thank you_ -“ He said, talking over her and giving her a stern look. 

The older woman simply chuckled before turning her gaze towards the young woman. “Would you like me to put some vanilla and nutmeg in there for you, sweetheart?” Gloria asked her cheerily.

The young woman nodded, turning her head in the older woman’s direction. “Yes, please, thank you again,” She said softly, giving her a gentle smile.

Gloria nodded before she was heading off behind the counter to make their drinks. The man she’d bumped into gave her a smile, happy to see that Gloria clearly knew her and that probably meant she was a regular. He took a deep breath and glanced around once again, spotting an open table and he gestured towards it and immediately felt stupid. She couldn’t see him gesturing.

“Uh…would you like to come and have a seat with me? The coffee’s will just be a minute, I’m sure and I really would like to know your name so I can apologize some more,” He said with a nervous chuckle.

The young woman laughed lightly and nodded, her nose scrunching up. “Okay,” She said only a touch reluctantly, but then the man was nodding, clearly relieved, before he realized he was a little confused as to how he was going to lead her over towards the table.

“Oh it’s just-“ He started jerking his thumb over his shoulder, but then the young woman was smiling at him in reassurance.

“Just lead the way, my dog Parker will follow,” She reassured.

The man nodded, relieved that she seemed to know what he’d been struggling with before he started off towards the table for two. He pulled out one of the chairs for her and watched as the golden retriever followed and led her over towards it. She reached out with her right hand and felt along the back of the chair before she took her seat. 

The pup sat down at her left and she let the harness’ handle shift so that it was sitting against the dogs back before she wound her fingers in his long fur at the back of his neck. He seemed to relax right away and simply set his head on the woman’s thigh, eyes drifting shut in content.

“Parker, that’s a cute name for a golden,” The man said after a beat, his eyes still focused on the dog and the way he seemed to fit by her side so perfectly.

The young woman smiled tentatively across at him. “I thought it was cute and it was the name the agency had given him, so I didn’t want to give him a new one and confuse him.”

The man nodded, letting his gaze shift from the dog to the young woman sitting in front of him. And it was at about this time, that he finally just let himself truly look at her. He’d been so distracted by the dog and what the dog entailed and he’d not really had a moment to take in the woman much at all; far too concerned with trying to make sure she was okay and comfortable. 

He was left feeling rather floored and he blinked in surprise as he looked across the table at her. She was just so lovely. Her hair was long and pinned to the side in a low wavy pony-tail, a deep chocolate brown that seemed to have a natural wave to it and she was wearing a pair of brown sunglasses that were a little big, but they suited her nicely enough.

She was also dressed rather smartly. She was clad in a dark grey pencil skirt and matching blazer with a white button-down blouse underneath. The blazer was open, both buttons undone and even the top button of her blouse was left open as well. And he thought he could see a string of soft white pearls draped around her neck. _How lovely_. He thought absently.

His smile only grew the more he looked at her, admired her, if he was being honest with himself. Her lips looked soft and full, her cheeks slightly rosy and it was clear she wasn’t wearing any makeup, but she had a nearly flawless complexion; save for the cute band of freckles high across her cheeks and what he could see of the bridge of her nose. He was so caught up in how she looked, that he almost missed the way she shifted and he realized she was uncomfortable and maybe even slightly embarrassed?

“ _Sorry_ -“ He said quickly. “I’ve literally been sitting here staring at you and haven’t even introduced myself, nor have I given you any more apologies like I said I would,” He rushed to explain, his nervous laughter filling the space between them.

The young woman laughed lightly, her cheeks heating adorably and he couldn’t stop his smile from widening when he noticed. “Well-“ She said, giving him a timid smile as she reached out across the table with her right hand in a clear offer of a handshake. “I’m Percy and I’m very sorry for spilling my latte all over you,” She said with a sympathetic smile.

The man smiled warmly across at her before he was reaching out and taking her hand in his. He surprised her, however, when he turned it in his grasp and raised it to his lips. “It’s lovely to meet you, Percy. I’m Tony and _I’m_ the one who is sorry for being a space case and running into you like that,” He apologized, pressing a soft kiss to the backs of her knuckles.

Percy smiled even more so at this and couldn’t help blushing even deeper as she withdrew her hand. “You’re a charmer for sure,” She said, to which Tony couldn’t help grinning.

“I try,” He told her, but then he was being distracted by Gloria as she returned with their drinks. 

“Here you go, two fresh cups of joe,” Gloria said cheerily, to which both Percy and Tony chuckled.

“Thank you so much, _dearest_ ,” Tony said, giving the older woman a showy smile. 

“Not a problem at all, _Sir,”_ Gloria said, making it clear to Tony that she was being careful for his sake. 

He winked at her as she started walking away after having set the coffees down between them and he turned his attention back to the young woman in front of him. Percy let her hand shift from where she had it resting in her lap before she carefully reached out to search for the cup. Tony watched her for a moment before he pushed it towards her questing fingers and they curled around the small cup as soon as they made contact. 

_She has lovely hands_. Tony thought to himself as he observed her, admiring her slender fingers and noting that there weren’t any rings on her hand. “I appreciate you getting me another latte, Tony. You didn’t have to do that,” She murmured.

Tony simply shrugged, “It was the least I could do.”

She bit her lower lip lightly and turned her head away, seeming to shift her attention towards Parker who was still sitting beside her, head resting comfortably against her thigh. “You know…your voice sounds oddly familiar. Have we met somewhere before?” She asked after a beat.

Tony shifted uncomfortably for a moment before he shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. Pretty sure I’d have remembered such a pretty face,” He told her with a smile, giving her a teasing wink…and then remembered she couldn’t see it and promptly felt like an idiot.

“Definitely a charmer,” She said with a shake of her head, giving him a timid smile; her cheeks still that lovely shade of pink.

He smiled genuinely at her and couldn’t help asking; “So, Percy is quite an unusual name. Is it a nickname?”

She nodded, biting her lower lip as she seemed to shy away. “It’s a short form of my name…my name is kind of… _unique._ ”

Tony looked to her curiously, “Oh?”

“Ah…my parents were big fans of Greek Mythology. My Dad being a history teacher and my Mum being really into poetry and art- _anyway_ -“ She huffed, clearly embarrassed about opening up seemingly too much to a complete stranger. “I have no idea why, but they just seemed to like it. They got stuck on the name _Persephone_ ,” She said with exasperation evident in her voice.

Tony’s face-splitting grin went clearly unnoticed by her, but when he spoke next, she could definitely hear it in his voice. “Wow,” He said. “ _Persephone,”_ He murmured, testing out the way it sounded. 

He liked it.

She huffed out a bit of a laugh and shrugged, shifting back in her seat and he found himself momentarily distracted when she crossed one of her legs over the other and he saw the gorgeous black stilettos she was wearing. _Stilettos_.

He almost asked her how the hell she managed to walk around in five-inch stilettos without the use of her sight and had to quickly cover his mouth to stop himself. That was a confident woman if he ever saw one. He shook his head in disbelief, having been momentarily distracted by the way her legs looked before he glanced back towards her face. 

“I know, I know. Ridiculous, right? So, my friends just call me Percy for short,” She shrugged.

“I gotcha’. Still, Persephone is a lovely name. The story is lovely too, albeit a little sad and maybe a touch creepy and you know what? Never mind,” He chuckled.

“ _See_?” Her nose scrunched up adorably as she shook her head. “The daughter of Zeus kidnapped by Hades. She succumbed to the temptations of the God of the Underworld and thus ruled by his side as his wife thereafter,” She huffed.

“A sad sort of love story, maybe? Daughter of the light, tempted by darkness,” Tony continued with a contemplative head tilt. 

“I suppose, I never really looked into the mythology much, but I know enough of the stories and interpretations thanks to my mother and father,” She said, clear fondness in her voice.

“Do you live with them?” He asked curiously, starting to wonder just how old she was; she did look rather young.

She shook her head, her smile slowly fading. “No, they actually passed about three years ago; car accident. And before you go and apologize again, _it’s okay_ ,” She reassured.

Tony’s face fell. “I’m still so sorry,” He blurted, a frown marring his features.

“I know, everyone’s always sorry. No one likes to deal with loss, no one likes to see other people lose the ones they love and care for either,” She told him quietly.

“It’s true. It’s what makes us human, I suppose,” He murmured and then after a beat; “I actually lost both of my parents some time ago too. I’m just sad to see a young woman such as yourself have to go through that kind of loss so early in your life.”

She nodded towards him in sympathy, tilting her chin down towards her chest in clear shyness. “I’m sorry for your loss as well, Tony. And I’ll be honest, I’m not that young; but thank you. Flattery will get you everywhere, Sir,” She said with a soft smile.

Tony merely smiled and shook his head. She really was lovely. “Well, I should get going,” She said after a moment as she slowly rose to her feet, taking up Parker’s harness once again in her left hand, coffee safely held in her right. 

“Oh,” Tony said in surprise, having quite enjoyed talking to her; he didn’t want her to leave just yet.

Actually, come to think of it, he was pretty sure he had a meeting or two to get to or at the very least, call Pepper and let her know he wasn’t going to make it. He glanced down at his dirtied suit in dismay right about the time Percy made a gesture towards him. 

“I’m so sorry about the mess I caused. I hope it’s not an expensive suit or anything- _oh my God_ -is it an expensive suit?” She said nervously, having just apparently thought of this possibility.

Tony outright laughed. “Please don’t worry about it, darling. It’s quite a dated outfit anyway. I could always use a new suit,” He told her, flashing her a bright smile he quickly remembered she wouldn’t get to see.

She returned the smile anyway. “I feel like you’re lying to me so I don’t feel bad,” She sighed.

Tony just laughed again. “It’s really an old Armani. I was looking at getting a new suit anyway, so this is a perfect opportunity.”

Her mouth dropped open in shock. “An _Armani suit_?” She practically squeaked. 

Tony smirked as he came around and gently put his hand against her bicep, just touching her lightly in reassurance. “It’s really okay, darling. Don’t worry yourself over it,” He murmured, leaning in a little closer to her ear as he spoke; the scent of her perfume filling his senses as he inhaled slowly.

She smelled like fresh rain and clean linen and he wondered if it was perfume or just her. He couldn’t help notice the way her cheeks flushed at their closeness and then she was inhaling sharper than she most likely intended. He wondered if she liked the way he smelled.

She laughed nervously, her hand tightening around the coffee cup in her grasp just a touch. “Well, if you insist,” She said, faux reluctance in her voice as she started to pull away from him.

Tony chuckled and withdrew his hand, watching as she straightened up just a touch. With her heels on, she was just as tall as he was. “It was lovely to meet you, Percy. Maybe we’ll run into each other again sometime?” He asked hopefully, still smiling warmly at her.

Her nose scrunched up adorably once again. “I hope I don’t _literally_ run into you again,” She chuckled. “But yes, that’d be nice. I-it was lovely to meet you too, Tony,” She murmured before turning and telling Parker it was time to go home.

“Good bye!“ Tony called after her as she turned away from him.

She smiled and gestured with the hand holding the cup of coffee in way of a wave and Tony watched her go, his gaze flicking down to the way she walked so confidently with her pup at her side, clearly leading the way just a bit. She didn’t trip, she didn’t stumble or fall. She walked with purpose and complete confidence in her pup guiding her and perhaps some of that confidence was simply in herself. 

Either way, he knew he was more curious about her than maybe he had any right to be. So sue him. Being Tony Stark, it’s not likely you’d win that court case. 

 

About a week later, Tony found himself standing in the little cafe with a full cup of sickly sweet coffee in hand and a grin plastered across his face. He was just about to turn to leave to head up for a meeting when he happened to catch sight of Percy sitting at one of the tables in the far corner of the shop. 

Parker was sitting beside her, head settled against her thigh as she curled her left hand around her cup of coffee and her right tracing the pages of what looked like a textbook as it lay open in front of her. Tony was beaming as he approached her, realizing that she must be reading. The pages of her book covered in little braille marks and he casually leaned against the empty chair opposite her. 

“Well, fancy meeting you here,” He drawled.

The young woman startled before she was smiling nervously, her chin tilting up towards the sound of his voice. “Is that Tony?” She asked curiously, her nose wrinkling adorably. 

He laughed, so pleased that she remembered the sound of his voice. “It is. How are you doing, Percy?”

She smiled, that wonderfully shy smile as she sat up a little straighter. “It’s nice to hear your voice, Tony. I’m alright, how are you?”

“Oh, you know,” He said nonchalantly, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Thought I’d pop by for a coffee and to see if I could maybe run into you again.”

She laughed, shaking her head in amusement. “Well, I’m glad we didn’t actually run into each other, but it is nice to hear your voice. Would you like to join me?” She asked him, motioning towards the empty seat across from her.

“I’d love to. Sure you wouldn’t mind my company?” He teased, trying to stifle his pleased grin.

She chuckled softly and closed her book, setting it off to the side. “I wouldn’t mind your company at all.”

Tony smirked to himself before he was pulling out the chair and sliding into the seat across from her. Parker had perked up a bit at his arrival and Tony glanced down towards him when he sniffed at his pant leg curiously. “Hey, Parker,” Tony greeted, reaching out to pet him.

He quickly realized that he should probably ask though and promptly withdrew his hand. “Uh, is it okay for me to pet him? I know they say when a dog is on duty, you have to be a little more careful and such.”

Persephone nodded and gave him a warm smile. “Of course you can. It’s okay, thank you for asking me though. But honestly, he loves all the attention, so go for it.”

Tony nodded before asking, “How long have you had him?” 

She let out a soft sigh then, caressing the back of Parker’s neck while Tony reached out to let him sniff his hand. “Almost five years now and he’s the best thing that ever happened to me. He keeps me safe and helps me get through my day. I rely on him a lot and honestly, I don’t know that I’d be doing so well without him,” She confessed.

“I’m glad you’ve got him then. We can always use a companion like that,” He murmured.

She nodded and continued to pet him when Tony spoke up again. “He’s a lovely looking dog. Almost snow white,” He said casually, before he realized that that may have been something he could have left out. 

But Persephone simply smiled. “I’ve been told that before,” She murmured. “Wish I could see him myself.”

And now Tony felt like shit. “I’m sorry-“ He blurted, brows pinched and an awful frown marring his handsome features.

But she simply shrugged. “Not your fault and it’s not mine either. It’s just the way the cards have been dealt, I suppose.”

Tony observed her for a moment before he couldn’t help asking; “How did you lose your sight? If you don’t mind me asking.”

She sighed and tilted her chin down towards the table and Tony watched her sunglasses shift down her nose a bit. She reached up and readjusted them before giving him a sad sort of smile. “When I was thirteen, I was diagnosed with a rare disease. By my fourteenth birthday, I was legally blind,” She sighed.

Tony’s frown only deepened, his brows pinching up even more so. “Are you on a list for any transplants?”

She frowned a bit, shaking her head. “No, it-it wouldn’t matter,” She stammered.

Tony tilted his head, observing her curiously before he asked, “Why not?”

“There’s no cure for the disease I have. It’d just attack my eyes again even if I were to have a successful transplant,” She said quietly. “But, it’s okay. Parker and I are getting by just fine,” She told him, smile returning and frown completely disappearing.

Tony shook his head in disbelief. How this woman could remain so positive and smile and just, _be here_ , was beyond him. He wasn’t sure he’d ever met anyone quite like her. “You’re somethin’ else, aren’t you?” He murmured after a moment of silence had passed between them.

She laughed then, shaking her head. “I’m just me. I try and stay positive and make the most out of my situation. You only have one life, after all. Just have to make the most of it.”

“This is true,” He whispered. “So, do you work around here or something? You’re all dressed up again and you seem to be a regular here, I take it?”

She nodded, lifting her latte to her lips to take a sip. “Mhm, I live and work nearby. I actually just live a couple of blocks away and I work from my home.”

Tony was momentarily distracted by the way she licked her gorgeously full lips after taking a sip of her drink and he mentally shook himself, trying to get his head back on straight. “Oh, that’s nice and what do you do, if you don’t mind me asking?”

She smiled, tilting her head a bit as she set her cup down. “I’m actually an author. So I’m sort of on my own schedule and can pretty well do it from almost anywhere, so long as I have my laptop.”

He beamed at her. “Oh wow, an author? Anything I might have read?” He asked curiously.

She chuckled and shook her head. “Not likely as I write children's books, mostly. I haven’t published any of my other works. They’re not polished enough to even consider attempting that just yet,” She confessed.

“Well, isn’t that just adorable. I’ll have to look you up, see what I can find. What’s your last name?” He asked as nonchalantly as possible; at least with a name, he could get Jarvis to look her up if he was so inclined.

He would be so inclined.

She chuckled, shaking her head. “Matthews. I’ve published four books so far and I’m currently in the process of writing my fifth. They’re nothing special, just life lessons for kids really,” She shrugged.

Tony smiled warmly across at her. “That is truly something special, darling. Don’t tell yourself otherwise and don’t let anyone else ever tell you otherwise either,” He murmured.

“Thank you, Tony,” She said, a blush gracing her features as she bit her lower lip. “So…what do you do? You must work around here too?”

“Uh, yeah, I live close by too. But I’m a…tinkerer of sorts?” He said hesitantly, not really sure how to go about it.

“Can’t talk about it?” She asked with a smirk. “Must be super top secret,” She continued with a soft chuckle.

He laughed, giving her a lopsided smile. “ _Maybe._ ”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me. That’s pretty nice though, living and working nearby. Not much in terms of travel time for you,” She said, playing with the rim of her cup.

“Mhm, not bad at all. Though I sometimes travel a bit for meetings and- _stuff,”_ He finished lamely, suddenly realizing that he was about to say something like; _‘saving the world!’_

He mentally face-palmed and then shook his head as if to clear it. “Oh, that must be kind of fun though. Getting to go and see new and exciting places,” She admitted.

He smiled nervously. “Sometimes, though I usually just get to sit in an office and listen to boring people talk about boring things,” He chuckled. _Or, you know, alien races hell bent on destroying the Earth_. He mentally added.

She laughed lightly and nodded, “ _Ah._ ”

Tony watched her for a moment, just letting his gaze take her all in. She was dressed up again and yet she’d said she worked from home. He wondered what made her want to dress up like that, looking so professional and meeting ready. He leaned his elbow on the table, propping his chin in the palm of his hand as he gazed across at her.

“I must say, I’m a little curious. If you work from home, why the fancy office attire? Don’t get me wrong, you look stunning. I’m just curious as to why you’d go through all the trouble. I mean, if I’m just at home in my personal space, I pretty well just wear jeans and a t-shirt,” He grinned.

She blushed and turned her head away a little at the compliment. “I was always told to dress to impress. Never know who you’re going to meet in this city and I just…I guess without my sight, people may see me differently. May see me as being vulnerable or something,” She sighed, giving him a one shouldered shrug.

“So I dress up and try and look professional and hope I look well enough put together and confident in myself so as not to be pitied or looked down on or- _oh I don’t know_ -treated _differently_ ,” She finished with a sigh.

She wondered if she was being too open, too trusting and for a moment, she had wanted to take it all back. Not having felt comfortable with the idea of opening up so soon like that to someone who was still mostly a stranger to her.

His gaze softened, his smile genuine when he murmured, “I get it. Believe me, I really do.”

She stilled then, just for a moment as she thought about that. As she listened to the warmth and sincerity in his voice and she relaxed some. And for whatever reason, she turned her head back towards him as her lips curved into a slow smile. 

“I’m not really sure why, Tony. But I do believe you. There’s something about you I can’t quite put my finger on, but I’m glad I met you,” She murmured.

Tony shook his head, surprised and a little bit in awe over this lovely woman as he just let that process for a moment. “How’s the suit, by the way? Was it salvageable?” She asked after a moment with a visible cringe.

“Nah, had to ditch it. _But_ -“ He said when he saw the awful pout start to form on her face. “I did get to buy a new suit and this one is way nicer, trust me.”

She chuckled nervously and gave him a shy smile. “I’m still really sorry about that,” She apologized.

“I’m not,” He said confidently and maybe a touch too quickly. “Meant that I got to meet someone as lovely as you.”

Persephone simply smiled back at him, still a little timid, still a little shy. But it made Tony’s heart do a funny little thing and he reached up and rubbed his knuckles over his sternum, feeling the solidness of the Arc Reactor still thrumming away, safely hidden beneath his clothes. He took a deep breath and soon they were back to talking about a bit of everything.


	2. Two

The next time Tony ran into Persephone, she was talking to Gloria and asking what kinds of pastries and goodies she’d baked that morning. And after joining her at the counter and surprising her with his presence, they had settled on choosing a slice of banana bread with chocolate chips for Tony and a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie for Percy.

Parker got his own treat too when they sat down across from one another at what would definitely become their usual meeting spot. Persephone laughed lightly as she took a couple of doggie treats from her shoulder bag and held them out to Tony. 

“Why don’t you give them to him? It’d help him to get more comfortable with you,” She told him with a reassuring smile.

“Sure, I can do that,” He agreed before taking the treats from her outstretched hand. 

She nodded, patting the top of Parker’s head. “Hey, boo,” She murmured. “Tony’s got a treat for you, why don’t you go and see him?”

Tony smiled and watched as Parker turned his attention towards him when he outstretched his hand beneath the table. The golden’s tail was wagging back and forth excitedly against the floor and Tony couldn’t help smiling fondly at the dog as he came a bit closer to sniff his hand.

He took the treats soon after and Tony was left laughing loudly when he’d managed to get slobber all over his palm. “Did he goober all over you?” Persephone asked with laughter of her own escaping her.

Tony smirked, shaking his head as he wiped his hand clean on a napkin. “He did indeed _goober_ all over me.”

Percy just smiled warmly at him and shook her head fondly. “ _So-_ “ She murmured, prompting Tony to look up at her curiously.

“So?” He asked with a curious gaze.

“I couldn’t help noticing…” She started. “That we seem to keep running into each other,” She continued, picking up her cookie and taking a small bite.

“Couldn’t help noticing, eh?” Tony said with a nervous smirk then as he tried to tease.

She laughed lightly and smiled. “I like the sound of your voice…so I guess it’s okay if we keep running into each other. Company’s not half bad either,” She teased back with a smirk of her own and a one shouldered shrug.

“Feeling’s mutual, _darling_ ,” Tony murmured, watching as she took another bite of her cookie, her cheeks flushing.

He loved that he could get her blushing with a simple pet-name and marvelled at how someone could blush so beautifully in the first place. He couldn’t help shaking his head before he started in on his banana bread. They chatted on and off after that, just relaxing and enjoying their morning treats with their coffees. A comfortable silence settled between them after a bit and Tony let out a soft sigh as his gaze flickered over her features.

“What’s the matter?” She asked softly, finishing off the rest of her latte and setting her cup aside. 

“I’m curious about something, but I don’t know if it’s really right to ask,” He told her nervously.

“Oh,” She murmured, shifting in her seat. “You can ask me, I’ll tell you if I’m uncomfortable with the question. You won’t upset me by simply asking,” She reassured.

Tony cleared his throat a bit. “Uh…okay,” He said, clearly not really sure how to go about it.

He sat there for a minute or so longer, just trying to think of how to phrase it before he pushed out a slow breath. “You’re always wearing sunglasses,” He decided to open with.

She smiled tentatively across at him, sitting back in her chair a bit more before she whispered, “Ah.”

Tony shifted uncomfortably before pressing forward, “I just…I was wondering why you wear them exactly…”

She smiled shyly and turned her head away from him, her hands that had been clasped in front of her on the table, were now twisting in clear discomfort in her lap. “You don’t have to answer, Percy,” Tony quickly added, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable.

“No, it’s okay. It’s just…I guess I wear them because I don’t want to upset anyone I might be talking to,” She told him softly.

He blinked. “I don’t understand.”

She shrugged a bit and let out a sigh. “Because I can’t see anything, my eyes move a lot. They shift like I’m trying to focus and it looks like I’m not paying attention, I guess. I don’t want people to get irritated with me, thinking I’m distracted or something…”

Tony frowned deeply. “Have people actually said something to that effect to you?” He asked, clear anger and annoyance in his tone.

She shifted uncomfortably for a moment and he shook his head in disbelief when she made no attempt to answer him. “That’s actually incredibly upsetting and makes me stupidly angry,” He muttered darkly.

Percy smiled nervously, turning her head towards him again. “It is what it is. They just don’t know any better, I guess.”

But Tony just continued to frown as he looked at her. “That’s not an excuse,” He muttered and then cleared his throat, “Is that the only reason you wear them?”

She bit her lower lip and after a moment, shook her head. “No,” She whispered. “It also makes me feel more vulnerable without the glasses on. Like I’m losing a protective layer or something. It’s stupid, I know,” She rushed on before sighing deeply.

But Tony made a soft hurt sound and quickly shook his head. “It’s not stupid, Percy. Don’t say that. I get it…sort of like an armour or a mask to keep you safely tucked behind…” He told her in a way too understanding tone of voice.

She tilted her head slightly as she listened to him, thinking about that for just a moment. “It’s exactly like that,” She very nearly whispered.

“I might know a thing or too about putting on armour myself,” He told her with a nervous smile.

She smiled shyly, not really understanding, but appreciating that he understood the need to protect herself all the same. “I don’t wear them all the time. Just when I’m out and about or around unfamiliar people. When I’m with friends, most of the time I can take them off and be okay with it.”

“I get it, you don’t have to explain yourself to me,” He told her quickly.

She smiled and shrugged a bit. “Well, you’re a new friend…don’t want you to feel like you didn’t quite make the cut,” She smirked.

He laughed and smiled at her warmly. “I’m happy to hear we both think of each other as friends, darling.”

She smiled, a blush colouring her cheeks. “I’m happy to hear that too, Tony.”

Tony smiled in response and startled a bit when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at it and promptly cursed under his breath when he saw the call to assemble. He stood abruptly and looked to Percy nervously. 

“I’m really sorry, Percy. But I have to run. Important work… _stuff_ ,” He told her lamely; suddenly feeling like the world’s biggest jackass.

She nodded, tilting her face up towards the sound of his voice. “That’s alright, Tony. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Of course, darling. I’ll see you later, take care of yourself and Parker-you take care of your girl,” He said with a smile, turning his attention towards the pup.

The golden simply whined happily at him, tail thumping against the floor and they both laughed in response. “Bye, Tony,” She whispered.

“Bye, Percy,” He replied before ducking out of the coffee shop with one last fleeting glance over his shoulder at the young woman. 

He wondered how long he could go on playing this game. How long he could keep a secret and get away with it. How long he could string the lie before the guilt ate away at him and consumed him until it was all he knew or felt. He swallowed hard at the thought and tried to force it from his mind. He had a job to do.

 

Their little run-ins continued for a time. For nearly another three weeks, he was able to keep up the smokescreen he’d put in place. Little did he know, that on this particular morning, he was going to discover that he wasn’t the only one feeling guilty for a lie he’d not thought through.

Tony grunted in annoyance as he fiddled with his espresso machine. He was standing in the communal kitchen trying to get the damn thing to work and getting frustrated to shit over it. It’d been ages since he’d actually tried to make himself a cappuccino and for whatever reason, the machine just wasn’t cooperating with him today.

He smacked it and promptly swore harshly at the sting; it was solid metal after all. He rolls his eyes, huffing in frustration and that’s when Bucky’s amused chuckle reached his ears. He spun around and glared hotly at the man, muttering under his breath, “What are you laughing at?”

Bucky smirked and came up beside him, leaning in and pressing a sweet kiss to the genius’ temple. “I’ll be honest, I’m laughing at you. What did the espresso machine ever do to you anyway?”

Tony huffed, rolling his eyes. “It won’t do what I want it to do,” He muttered in annoyance.

Bucky smiled at him sympathetically. “Why did you insist on getting an old fashioned machine like this to make your fancy drinks anyway? I thought you were more of just a plain-albeit, disgustingly sweet-kind of coffee guy?” He said lightly, his gaze taking in the sight of his lover.

Tony was just wearing a pair of dark jeans and a black sweater, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. But even so early in the morning and clearly a bit tired and frustrated with the coffee machine, Bucky thought he looked so wonderfully handsome and he couldn’t help smiling fondly at the man. 

But oh boy, was Tony pouting something fierce. Bucky liked when he pouted like that and something struck him as to why. It was the same pout his little Stevie used to get when Bucky would tell him he didn’t want him to do something; like insisting he go down to the grocer’s when it was pouring rain for fear he’d catch cold. But then that pout would settle into grim determination and Bucky would find himself even more in love with the reckless idiot. 

“I like fancy coffees…lattes, cappuccinos and stuff…can’t always go down to Gloria’s for them though and it’s too early to head down there anyway. She’s probably not even open yet,” Tony interrupted his thoughts, still muttering in annoyance. 

“Oh,” Bucky murmured absently, still stuck on thoughts of Steve from way back when. He glanced at the clock on the microwave; 5:14am. “Actually, she does open up fairly early during the week. She keeps busy baking in the back with her husband, but she has her daughter, Missy, serve any regulars that come by. We could pop down and get something?” He suggested.

Tony nodded, shoving the beast of an espresso machine towards the back of the counter as he gave in. “Yeah, okay. That sounds way better than fighting with this thing,” He muttered with a shake of his head.

“What are you doing up so early anyway?” Bucky asked as they started towards the elevators.

“Couldn’t sleep, so I was down in the lab reading over some paperwork Pepper sent over. Thought maybe it’d bore me to sleep, no such luck,” Tony muttered.

Bucky smiled sympathetically and nodded before stepping into the elevator with the genius by his side. “What about you?” Tony asked curiously, yawning somewhere in the middle of his question.

“Ah, Steve got up early to go for his run and without you two there, I got sort of lonely. Decided to come and see what you’d gotten up to,” Bucky confessed with a shy smile. 

Tony smiled over at him before reaching for his flesh and blood hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Bucky squeezed back and gave him a timid smile in return before bringing the brunette’s hand to his lips and giving his knuckles a kiss. 

A few minutes later they walked into Gloria’s little cafe just next-door to the Tower and they went up to the young blonde woman at the counter. The owner’s daughter Missy took their order and while Tony was busy talking to her while she made their drinks, Bucky’s attention was drawn towards the sound of the chime above the door as it opened.

He was pleasantly surprised to see a close friend walk through the door, her little furry companion by her side. “Percy,” He greeted happily as he strode towards her, a warm smile on his face.

The brunette’s face lit up at hearing the sound of his voice and she smiled wonderfully as he approached her. “ _James_ ,” She said in surprise. “Good morning, sweetheart. What are you doing up so early?”

He laughed lightly, almost shyly as he stepped up to her. “Couldn’t sleep, so I figured I might as well get on with my day and good morning to you too. I’m actually here with a friend of mine grabbing some coffee.”

She smiled at him, timidly extending her hand towards him and it was at about this time that Tony turned from his spot at the counter, drinks held carefully in his hands. He was surprised to see Percy conversing with Bucky and he looked between them curiously, wondering if they knew each other.

Percy had her hand outstretched and Tony watched with wide eyes as Bucky took it in his flesh and blood hand and brought it to his cheek. She cupped the side of his face and brushed her thumb against the apple of his cheek before moving to tuck a strand of his long hair back behind his ear as it had brushed against her hand.

Tony knew how hard physical contact was for Bucky on a good day. Even with he and Steve and although it had definitely gotten better as of late, it was still something the brunette struggled with. So to see him openly accept such an intimate and caring touch was absolutely delightful and yet so utterly heart-wrenching.

“It’s nice to hear your voice, James. Your hair is getting long, I bet it looks really lovely,” She murmured, a fond smile gracing her features.

He chuckled nervously. “Thanks, doll. You’re looking lovely, as always,” He told her earnestly.

And she really did. Dressed in her usual professional attire, hair all down and so wonderfully wavy. This morning she was wearing a navy blue pencil skirt and a cream coloured button up blouse with her long black spring jacket hung open and her sunglasses firmly in place. She was also wearing those trademark stilettos he had always thought made her legs look just that much more gorgeous. 

Not that he’d ever tell her that.

Tony blinked in surprise at the friendly way they seemed to interact with one another and he watched them curiously before he couldn’t help himself and cleared his throat. The unexpected sound made Percy startle a little and she withdrew her hand from Bucky’s hair, letting it return to her side. Bucky turned and smiled at Tony, clearly looking embarrassed and Tony gave him a curious sort of grin. 

“Uh-“ Bucky said hesitantly.

“Hi there, you must be James’ friend,” She said, a timid smile on her face as she extended her hand towards the sound of his voice in greeting.

Tony smirked and turned his attention towards her. “Hi Percy,” He greeted cheerily.

The look of sudden confusion on her face was quickly replaced by happy surprise and a startled bout of laughter escaped her. “ _Tony?_ ”

“The one and only,” He drawled.

She laughed lightly and shook her head. “It’s lovely to hear your voice, Tony. What a surprise-so you and James know each other?” She asked excitedly, her hand returning to her side.

Bucky watched them both in surprised confusion as Tony nodded, glancing between the pair. “We do. We’ve actually known each other for a couple years now,” Tony told her lightly.

She smiled even brighter. “That’s so wonderful,” She said excitedly.

Bucky smiled nervously, looking between them both. “Uh, would you like to sit and chat for a little while?” He suggested.

She nodded eagerly. “I’d love to. I’ll just grab a latte and join you at our table?”

“Course, doll,” Bucky murmured as she nodded and gave them both a warm smile.

They both watched as she went up to the counter and spoke to Missy briefly to place her order and then Tony was reaching out and thrusting Bucky’s cup of coffee into the brunette’s hand. He grasped his metal arm, squeezing it nervously as he leaned in to whisper in his ear, “She doesn’t know I’m Tony Stark.”

Bucky’s eyes widened and he bit his lower lip, looking uncomfortable as all hell. Tony looked to him, brows pinched in concern. “What?” He asked worriedly.

“She doesn’t know I’m Bucky Barnes,” He muttered in response.

Tony grimaced and he nodded and then he took a very deep breath. “ _Right_ -“ He said, schooling himself. “We can do this,” He muttered, glancing towards the young woman as she waited at the counter. 

Bucky didn’t feel as confident about this as Tony apparently did and he gave him a look of pure disbelief. Tony ignored him and forcibly turned him around and gave him a shove in the direction of the tables. The cafe was empty save for the three of them and Bucky led the way to a corner table where he took a seat next to Tony.

They both tried not to panic as they watched Percy start making her way towards them, coffee cup firmly in hand and Parker leading her through the array of tables. When she set her cup down on the table, she smiled warmly as she shrugged off her book bag, setting it on the floor by her seat and draping her coat on the back of the chair. 

“So, how have you both been?” She asked lightly as she moved to take her seat, Parker settling in beside her. 

Bucky was sitting directly across from her now and he cleared his throat nervously. “Been alright, bit busy this past week though,” He confessed, thinking back to their latest call to assemble.

“Yeah, this week’s been a killer, hasn’t it?” Tony muttered with a shake of his head.

Bucky looked to him hastily and Tony realized his error. “Oh, you two work together?” She asked in surprise.

Bucky nodded hesitantly. “Uh yeah, kind of?” He said, grimacing a bit.

“It’s okay, James. I know you don’t like to talk about your work and really, neither does Tony. So I’m not surprised you two work together, makes perfect sense,” She told them with a smile.

Bucky nodded and Tony looked to him, feeling very uncomfortable with how this was turning out. “ _So_ -“ Tony tried to deflect. “How did you meet James?” He asked, hoping to steer the conversation in another direction.

She smiled warmly across the table at them and Bucky watched as she bit her lower lip gently. “A little while after I started coming to the cafe, he approached me while I was sitting and reading. He told me he’d never seen a dog like mine before and really wanted to know if he could pet him.”

Her lips curved up into a fond smile then. “He sounded so quiet and shy and at first, I thought he was a child,” She confessed. “But then we got to talking and we just kept running into each other every so often and well, here we are,” She chuckled.

Tony beamed at her and was quickly turning his stupidly fond smile towards the brunette at his side. “That’s adorable, you wanted to pet the doggie, didn’t you?” Tony teased, but it was all in fun.

Bucky huffed out a breath and rolled his eyes. “I mean, lookit’ him-he’s just so fluffy,” He said with a smile, bending to reach for the pup.

Parker whined and barked happily and both Percy and Tony laughed as Bucky started petting and showing him some attention. “He is really adorable,” Tony agreed and Percy laughed.

“He’s a big suck, if you ask me,” She smirked.

“And how did you two meet?” Bucky asked them.

Tony grinned. “She bumped into me, spilt her coffee _all over me_ and ruined a perfectly good suit,” He said in mock irritation.

Persephone laughed delightedly. “ _Tony!_ ” She guffawed, covering her face as it grew red with embarrassment.

Tony laughed in response, shaking his head and Bucky beamed at them, looking between them in confusion. “I couldn’t resist,” Tony confessed. “Nah, I actually ran into her. Was on my phone and was a bit distracted and I ended up bumping into her and she spilt her coffee all over me. It was a terribly old suit anyway and I needed a new one.”

Bucky smirked to himself, recalling the new suit Tony had bought about three weeks ago because he’d gotten an awful milk stain on his good grey suit. It wasn’t an old suit by any means, but he got it. Bucky shook his head, still smirking. 

“Well, it looks like you’ve made friends with one of the most wonderful women I’ve ever been lucky enough to meet,” Bucky told him, a shy smile on his face as he gazed across the table at the young woman.

Persephone’s cheeks heated delightfully and both Bucky and Tony smiled at her in response. “You’re just as bad as Tony,” She sighed with a shake of her head. 

Tony and Bucky both smirked and she chuckled softly. “So, what are you doing here so early?” Bucky asked her. “Don’t you usually come here after the morning rush?”

She nodded, pulling her bag up from the floor. “Sometimes, but I’m actually meeting a good friend of mine. He wanted to take a look at my latest book and he said he wanted to maybe try and draw something for it. The artist I’ve been working with on the last couple of my books is unfortunately no longer interested in doing children’s books,” She sighed.

“So now I’m trying to find someone to replace him and Steve- _my friend_ -“ She amended. “Wanted to get a look at my book for something to go off of,” She told them easily as she pulled out one of her folders and set it on the table.

They both looked to each other curiously at the dropped name and before they could think better of it. “ _Steve?_ ” They both said in unison, just as the door to the cafe opened and in walked one Steven Grant Rogers looking perfect in his too-tight white t-shirt and grey jogging pants; clearly fresh back from his morning run.

The blonde glanced around the shop and his casual smile quickly morphed into one of stunned yet happy surprise. Percy turned her head towards the sound of the door chimes and Parker barked excitedly beneath the table.

“And that’d be him,” She said with a smile of her own and Steve looked curiously over at the three of them before approaching their table cautiously.

“Good morning, Percy,” Steve greeted as he bent to kiss her temple, ignoring the surprised looks from both Tony and Bucky sitting across from them.

She smiled wonderfully bright at him as she tilted her head up towards the sound of his voice after he withdrew. “Good morning, Steve. These are my friends, James and Tony,” She told him, gesturing across the table towards her companions.

Steve gave them a lopsided smirk and nodded, crouching down to say hello to an over excited Parker. “Oh yeah?” Steve asked with a slowly forming grin.

“Tony, James-this is my friend, Steve,” She introduced.

Now Tony and Bucky were looking at Steve with huge grins on their faces, albeit they all looked relatively confused and maybe still a bit surprised. “Uh-“ Tony said eloquently and Bucky really faired no better as he mouthed something across the table at the blonde.

Steve was thankful he could read lips at that moment when Bucky mouthed; _Does she know who you are?_ Steve quickly shook his head and made a throat cutting gesture and Tony grimaced alongside Bucky when they both got the memo.

“Funny thing,” Steve said, chuckling softly under his breath. “But these dorks are sort of my friends too,” He said fondly.

Percy’s head titled to the side, her lips parting in surprise as she turned her attention back towards the two men across the table from her. “Isn’t that funny?” She breathed. “All three of you weren’t even aware that we all somehow knew each other until this morning.”

Steve smiled, looking across at his lovers. “Is that so?”

Both Bucky and Tony smiled sheepishly across at the blonde and Steve shook his head with a smile on his face. “So, how do you two know each other?” Bucky asked them curiously.

Steve smiled fondly from his crouched position, still petting Parker affectionately as he turned his gaze to settle on Persephone. “Would you like to tell the story?”

“Sure, why not,” She chuckled, turning her attention back to the men across the table. “A little over four months ago, I was walking home early one morning. I was so annoyed with the way an employee had treated Parker and I at a local coffee shop and I guess I was talking to myself…or Parker-” She said with a huff before continuing; “About how _irritated_ I was at being asked to leave the place because dogs weren’t allowed,”

“So of course Steve overheard me. He was out on a morning run and asked if I’d like to go someplace close by for a cup of coffee where he knew the owners would be more than willing to accommodate me and my service dog,” She said with a happy smile, turning her head back towards where the blonde was still crouched by her side.

He smiled at her warmly. “And we’ve been friends ever since,” She finished, shrugging lightly.

Tony and Bucky were smiling so stupidly across at the pair and Tony tried to cover his loving smile with the back of this hand, feigning a stretch. But Bucky just wore his fond dorky smile proudly as he looked across at his Stevie. 

Steve just continued to smile at her before he was reaching up and placing his fingertips on either side of the rim of her sunglasses. She didn’t startle, merely bit her lower lip nervously as she tipped her head forward to let him pull them off. 

“Friend’s ever since,” Steve repeated, removing her glasses and folding them closed before he slipped them into her coat pocket.

She had her eyes closed and he stood back up properly before glancing over his shoulder towards the counter where Missy was busing herself. “I’m just going to grab a cup of tea, then we can take a look at your book if you like?”

She nodded, timidly opening her eyes, tipping her chin up towards him. “Sure thing,” She murmured.

He smiled down at her for a moment before stepping away from the table, heading off to place his order. Tony and Bucky were looking at her in open mouthed shock. Neither had ever seen her without her glasses on before and the fact that Steve had simply just _taken them off_ without even _asking her?_ That had surprised the hell out of them.

Tony shook his head in disbelief, his eyes scanning over her features. She still had her head turned to the side and when she turned back to face them, blinking as she gazed across at them unseeingly, Bucky and Tony were powerless to stop their collective heavy exhales as they finally got a proper look at her eyes and the rest of her pretty face.

They were quite possibly the deepest, darkest brown orbs the had ever seen and for a moment, all they both seemed to want to do was get lost in their depths. She glanced away when no one spoke for a solid minute and she took a fortifying breath, her hands settling nervously in her lap as she tried to face them again and not be too self-conscious.

“So,” She said hesitantly, trying to bring herself to smile normally across at them, but she was clearly feeling uncomfortable.

But then Steve was returning with his cup of tea and immediately picked up on her discomfort and the way Bucky and Tony were still staring at her with wide, awestruck gazes. It dawned on him that perhaps they hadn’t actually seen her without her glasses on before and he inwardly berated himself when he realized that he may have made her take a step she wasn’t quite ready for.

He pulled out his chair and in an attempt to distract her, slid a plate with several white chocolate macadamia nut cookies in front of her. “I bought a few cookies, your favourite,” He said with a smile and she smiled in return, murmuring her thanks.

“Is this your book?” Steve asked, glancing towards the folder sitting out on the table.

She nodded, thankful for the distraction and reached out to find the folder she’d pulled out. “It is, think you’ll have time to look at it this week?” She asked curiously.

“Oh definitely and I’ll call you once I’ve drawn up a few things and then you can tell me what you think,” He agreed.

She nodded, smiling warmly at him. “Sounds perfect. Maybe Tony and James might have some suggestions as well?”

Tony glanced towards Steve, as did Bucky. “Oh, I don’t know that we’re going to be much help,” Tony said. 

But Steve just smiled. “I’d actually appreciate a bit of an outsider’s perspective. I haven’t read the book yet, but it’s about a little canary, right?” Steve said gently. 

When Persephone nodded, Steve glanced back towards Tony and Bucky. “I wouldn’t mind you two telling me what you think. I mean, it’s a book for kids and my drawings tend to be a little more life-like,” He started. “Not sure if that’s what would be appropriate for the story,” He continued.

But then Persephone was smiling delightfully over at him. “I actually like the sounds of that, Steve. I mean, it would make the whole story sort of appear more realistic. The lessons in this one, I guess I’d actually prefer if the art was less cartoonish if possible,” She confessed.

Steve beamed at her. “Really?”

She nodded, biting her lower lip. “I’ve always liked the old Peter Rabbit style books. The pictures were lovely. I actually remember them from when my mother and father used to read them to me and I always thought the life-like quality to them was beautiful.”

“They were lovely books,” Tony said and both Bucky and Steve murmured their agreement. 

“Alright, well I’ll do my best for you,” Steve told her earnestly, taking the folder as she handed it to him. 

“Thank you,” She murmured, but then her attention was being taken by Parker who was now standing by her side and pawing lightly at her leg.

“Ah, I think it’s time for us to go. Parker needs a walk and I’m actually feeling a little drained this morning. Sorry to run like this, Steve-I know you just got here-but I think it might be best if I went home and tried to take a nap,” She told them with a reluctant sigh.

The three men’s brows pinched collectively in concern. “Of course, Percy. Can one of us-or all of us-walk you home?” Steve asked.

She smiled warmly and shook her head. “No, It’s alright, but thank you. I’ll be fine with Parker. But you have my number, Steve. So give me a call whenever you’d like to meet up again,” She told him, moving to get up.

They all rose from their seats as well and Steve lifted her coat to help her put it on. She let him help her into it and then she was gathering up her bag and putting it over her shoulder before lifting up Parker’s lead. 

“Take a cookie with you,” Bucky said gently and she chuckled as she nodded, letting her fingertips ghost against the table until she found the edge of the plate. 

She picked up a cookie and took a little bite. “Mmm, more sugar, just what I need,” She said with a light huff of laughter.

The men smiled and watched as she started to leave. “See you later, doll,” Bucky called after her. 

“Take care of yourself, darling,” Tony murmured as well.

Steve just smiled when she stopped in the doorway and looked back over her shoulder at them. “I will. Take care boys and _Steve-_ “ She called. “Take care of your boys,” She said with a teasing smirk before winking at him knowingly. 

Steve’s cheeks instantly heated and both Bucky and Tony’s jaws dropped open in clear surprise. How did she even? They both wondered, but then Steve was sputtering, trying to get out his own goodbye as she ducked out of the cafe with her light laughter trailing along behind her.

Within seconds, Tony had a cookie shoved into both of his lover’s mouths as he ushered them towards the door and out into the street. They let themselves be led next door to the Tower and were hastily pushed into the private elevator that brought them up to the communal and private floors. 

“ _Okay,_ ”Tony said on a heavy breath as he shoved them both onto one of the couches in the living room.

They looked up at their lover nervously as they finished off their cookies and now it was Tony’s turn to eat his, but not before he said, “ _Story time._ ”

He pointed towards Bucky first and the brunette took a deep breath. “I met her a little over two months ago at the cafe. Saw her with that pup and couldn’t resist going over and asking her if I could pet him. You know how much I love dogs,” Bucky confessed, biting his lower lip.

Both of his lovers nodded in understanding and waited for him to continue. “I uh, started talking to her and we ran into each other a couple of times after that. I just…sort of found it easier to talk to her, you know…since she couldn’t see me,” He muttered nervously.

And this, this was something they did understand. “Because she doesn’t know who you are,” Steve interrupted quietly.

Bucky nodded, glancing towards the blonde and then back to Tony. “I’m not…it’s so difficult to explain,” He said in frustration, running his metal hand through his hair. “It’s like, I can just be _me_ around her, without her wondering about the arm or having her know about all the crap I’ve been through-it’s just easier to pretend I don’t have a fucked up history,” He confessed, his face pinching up.

“ _Bucky_ ,” Steve said, clearly upset as he reached out and placed a reassuring hand against his lover’s thigh.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s wrong to lie to her like this. I wanted to tell her-I _still_ do-but I’m _so afraid_ ,” He said, frowning deeply .

Steve watched his best friend and lover struggle with himself over this and couldn’t help squeezing his thigh in comfort. “What about you, Spangles?” Tony said on a deep sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’ve clearly known her the longest. You acted like you were really close with her.”

Steve nodded, frowning deeply. “I met her a little over four months ago, just like she said. Introduced her to Gloria’s and we’ve been meeting at least once or twice a week for coffee early in the morning. I usually stop in after my run to say hi to Gloria and Frank and if Percy’s there, I pop in and we just chat for a while.”

“And she doesn’t know you’re Steve Rogers,” Bucky whispered.

Steve frowned then and shook his head. “Couldn’t bring myself to give her my last name. Didn’t want it to paint a picture in her head for her. Thought it’d just be easier if I kept it a secret and didn’t let the shield get in the way for once. I also want to tell her, I’m tired of lying to her. She doesn’t deserve that,” He muttered, clearly angry with himself as he looked down at the floor.

“Guess we all kept her a secret from each other, probably figuring that we’d be ashamed of our lies,” Bucky muttered, listening to Tony and Steve’s sighs of guilt over the reality of what they’d done.

They were quiet for a beat, Tony’s brows pinched in concern as he regarded his lovers. “How did she know we were together?” He asked curiously after a moment of silence more.

Steve rolled his eyes, huffing out a breath. “I talk about you two all the time. Not by name of course, just that you’re my best friends and we’ve been together for a long time. She was actually really curious about how polyamory works, not that I have much of a clue,” He said with a half-hearted chuckle. 

“I just told her that we all love each other and it just sort of happened and it works for us,” He said with a light shrug.

Bucky and Tony smiled at him timidly and nodded. “But what about you?” Bucky asked, looking up at Tony from his spot on the couch. 

Tony sighed deeply then before planting himself down next to the brunette. “Same as you guys. Preferred not to colour her opinion of me by giving her my last name. That’d be a pretty surefire way to get her running for the hills,” He muttered, hanging his head.

Both Steve and Bucky frowned, their gazes settling on the floor in front of them. They stayed like that for a few minutes, no one speaking or making any attempt to move. Steve let out a soft sigh after a few minutes had gone by and both men turned their heads to look at him curiously.

“You’d both never seen her eyes before, had you?” He asked in nothing more than a whisper.

Both Bucky and Tony shook their heads and Steve closed his eyes for a brief moment before he rose from his seat and headed over towards the floor to ceiling windows. He let his gaze flicker across the city as he thought about that for a moment, but then Bucky was clearing his throat a bit.

“They were really beautiful,” He whispered.

Tony looked towards the brunette and gave him a timid smile. “Like dark chocolate.”

Bucky smiled tentatively over at the genius before they both glanced towards Steve who was still looking out across the city. “If you get close enough, you can see little amber flecks in them,” He murmured, his tone sounding wistful.


	3. Three

“We have to tell her,” Steve said as he came barrelling into the communal kitchen, stack of papers, folders and sketchbook held tight to his chest and a very disgruntled look upon his face.

Both Bucky and Tony were sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and eating pancakes and they looked up at him curiously. Bucky swallowed the bite of pancake he’d taken and looked to Tony nervously before glancing back towards the blonde.

But Steve wasn’t meeting either of their gazes as he dropped the folder containing Percy’s book on the counter along with a stack of drawings he’d been apparently working on. He gestured hastily to the folder and Tony pulled it towards him nervously. 

“What’s going on, Stevie?” Bucky asked, watching as the blonde started running both of his hands through his blonde locks compulsively.

Steve took a deep breath. “Her book?” He said, gripping the back of his head. “It’s all about family and friendship and _trust_ -it’s all about trusting in your friends and family to help guide you in life,” He said, his voice breaking at the end.

Bucky’s face pinched up and Tony looked up from the open folder in his hands as he’d skimmed through some of the pages. He nodded, meeting Steve’s very uncomfortable gaze. “Okay, yeah. We have to tell her,” Tony agreed firmly.

Bucky looked between the drawings scattered on the table, catching sight of some that were of a beautiful yellow canary and another of an orange kitten. There were even some of the kitten and canary together and then a few others with an owl and a rabbit. 

He swallowed hard when he caught sight of a drawing he wasn’t sure was supposed to be in the pile though and he pulled it from the mess of papers. As he lifted it, Steve’s gaze caught it and his eyes widened, cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

The drawing was of Percy sitting in what looked like Gloria’s coffee shop, head turned to the side as she smiled shyly, her unseeing gaze turned towards the window Bucky knew would be at her side. He vaguely wondered if she felt she sunshine coming through the window and that’s why she had turned her head. 

“Sorry,” Steve whispered. “That wasn’t supposed to be in there,” He said quietly.

“When did you draw this?” Bucky asked curiously, his eyes still taking in the rest of the drawing.

In the drawing, Percy had her hair draped over the front of one of her shoulders as she looked away. She wasn’t wearing her glasses and Steve had managed to capture the beautiful band of freckles that stretched across the tops of her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. 

It was only a head-shot and it wasn’t coloured pencils or anything, just what looked like a charcoal sketch of her that ended just below her collarbone, the pearls she always wore peeking out from the open collar of her blouse. 

Steve took a deep breath. “Last week,” He confessed. “We met for lunch and I asked her if she would mind me drawing her. That’s why she asked if I could maybe illustrate her book,” He whispered.

Bucky nodded before reaching out with the drawing in his outstretched hand. Steve took it gingerly and slipped it into one of the sketchbooks he’d brought down with him. “We have to tell her,” Bucky murmured, watching as Steve lifted the sketchbook and cradled it to his chest.

 

“Why do I have to call her?” Steve asked in what was most definitely a whine.

Tony huffed, glancing over at Bucky who was trying to shy away from the conversation before looking back up at the blonde. “Because Bucky’s about ten-seconds away from having an anxiety attack if he thinks about this any harder and I’m about twelve-seconds away from grabbing a bottle of scotch and downing half the bloody thing before I’m even able to try and _think_ about how to tell her,” Tony muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Steve frowned, glancing between his lovers and then his cellphone that was sitting out on the counter between them. He grimaced and nodded, tentatively picking it up. They both watched as he looked up Percy’s number and after a very long conflicted moment, hit the call button. 

He put the phone on speaker, because he was an ass like that, or at least, Tony thought so for the moment. Bucky tried to leave the room on the second ring though and Tony had to grab his wrist to keep him from escaping. The genius forced him to sit back down with him and Bucky reluctantly did as he was directed and simply stared down at the phone.

Just after the fourth ring, she picked up. “ _Hello?_ ”

“H-hi Percy, it’s Steve,” The blonde greeted nervously.

“Oh, hi,” She said, sounding happily surprised. “How are you, sweetheart? Everything alright?”

“Uh, yeah,” He started. “Just uh, wanted to call and let you know that I’ve drawn up a few sketches and even polished off a few drawings for your book.”

“ _Really?_ ” She asked excitedly. “How did they turn out? Are you happy with them? I hope you used lots of colour,” She babbled, clearly enthused.

Steve chuckled softly and nodded. “Yeah, I made sure to use lots of colour and they’re all life-like drawings, just like you asked.”

“That’s wonderful, Steve. I can hardly wait to-“ She started, but then seemed to remember herself. “Y-you’ll have to tell me all about them,” She said, her voice a little more reserved, but no less happy.

“I will, I promise. That’s actually why I called…I-“ He started, but then changed his mind. “ _We_ were wondering if you’d like to come by and have dinner with us? Tony, James and I are having some friends by for dinner this weekend and we usually watch a movie afterwards. I thought that while they were busy watching the film, we could discuss the drawings and your book,” He suggested, tone light and hopeful.

He could practically see the smile on Percy’s face as she gave him her reply. “ _Really?_ That sounds wonderful. I’d be delighted to come by for dinner with the three of you and your friends.”

Steve let out a relieved breath, glancing over to where Bucky and Tony were still looking at the phone in uncomfortable silence. “That’s great, Percy, would you be free Saturday night? Say around, 5:30pm?” He asked her.

“Free as a bird!” She said through her light laughter.

Steve chuckled softly and smiled, clearly happy she was able to come. “That’s great, Percy, why don’t I come meet you at Gloria’s then around 5:30pm?”

“Sure, Steve, that sounds perfect. Oh and what should I wear? Would jeans be appropriate?” She asked, tone suddenly nervous and shy.

Steve smiled tentatively down at the phone. “Whatever you’re comfortable in, Percy. Jeans would be fine. No one here to impress.”

She laughed lightly on the other end and both Bucky and Tony smiled at the warmth in her voice when she spoke next. “Alright, Steve, then I’ll see you and the boys on Saturday. Can I bring anything? Dessert maybe?” She asked.

Steve just smirked and rolled his eyes. “Just yourself, Percy. We’ve got dinner and dessert covered, _promise_.”

“Alright, if you insist,” She sighed.

Steve just smiled. “We’ll see you then, okay?”

“Sure thing, you have a good night and say hi to Tony and James for me,” She added.

“Of course, Percy. Take care,” He replied.

“Bye,” She murmured before Steve said his own good bye and they hung up.

The blonde sighed deeply once he’d hit the end call button and sat down heavily on one of the stools opposite his lovers. “Well, that was the easy part,” He muttered, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Bucky and Tony both shared a look before they were coming around to the other side of the kitchen island and wrapping their arms around him. “It’ll be okay. We’ll just-I dunno’-come out with it and if-“ Tony started, but Bucky’s shaky inhale made him pause.

Steve turned his head to look at his best friend and Bucky met his gaze nervously. “What if this goes bad and she doesn’t want to talk to us ever again?” Bucky whispered.

Tony and Steve both frowned. “Then we have to respect that and move on,” Steve said just as quietly.

Bucky nodded reluctantly and Tony watched as both of his lovers seemed to sort of close themselves off. None of them wanted it to go down that way. But it was definitely a possibility. Tony had only known her a few weeks and he was frightened about her turning on him, even if he didn’t think she was that kind of person, it was still a possibility.

But Steve? Steve was absolutely _terrified_. He’d been hiding the truth from her for months, Bucky too even and they both didn’t want to lose such an amazing person as their friend. They cared too much about her and just couldn’t bear to keep lying to her like this. She deserved to know the truth of who they were and they knew that in confessing to her, they’d ultimately have to explain why they’d done it in the first place.

Bucky frowned at the thought before pressing a kiss to Steve’s cheek. Steve simply leaned his head against Bucky’s shoulder before drawing Tony practically into his lap so he could hold him. Tony let himself be pulled along and he nuzzled into the crook of the blonde’s neck. 

Her life was based on being able to trust those around her, who were close to her. Without her sight, she was vulnerable, no matter how she dressed or presented herself. She could put on her own front and exude confidence and strength and a whole slew of other strong traits, but to be kept essentially blinded even _further_ by their reluctance to share their identities with her? 

It was wrong and they all felt awful for doing it in the first place. They were trying to protect themselves in the beginning, but in doing so, they’d very likely hurt her far worse than anything she ever could have said to them upon realizing who they were during their first introductions. This was going to be bad or _worse_. 

There wouldn’t be a moment of; _‘oh, well isn’t that something? It’s okay, I still want to be your friend-‘_ and none of them were sure if they were man enough to handle it. Nor did they know how to even go about confessing to her. They figured they’d just wing it; which was probably not one of their brightest ideas. 

 

Persephone chewed nervously on her bottom lip, her nerves clearly getting the better of her. She was standing just outside Gloria’s Coffee Shop with Parker’s lead in hand, book bag slung loosely over her shoulder as she shifted from foot to foot. She’d only been waiting a couple of minutes, having arrived early. Obviously not wanting to be late for her first dinner with the boys and their friends.

She was excited to get to spend time with all three of them together. She really did like them and always enjoyed their company. They’d been nothing but kind to her since she’d first met them and she only hoped that she’d been a good friend to them as well. She’d certainly tried; true friends were hard to come by nowadays and she wanted to hold on to them for as long as they’d let her.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves and that’s when she felt Parker shift at her feet before barking excitedly. She smiled and patted his head, knowing it must be Steve whom had come to pick her up.

“Well, hello there,” She greeted warmly as she heard his light footfalls coming towards her. 

“Hi, Percy,” Steve greeted cheerily. “You haven’t been waiting long, have you?” He asked worriedly.

She quickly shook her head. “No, not long at all.”

He smiled warmly at her and nodded. “That’s good then. Um…may I take your hand? We’re actually just going to walk to my place.”

She nodded, extending her hand towards him and he clasped it easily in his own. She relaxed once his warm calloused hand held hers and he smiled tentatively down at her as he stepped closer. “Oh that’s fine,” She said, squeezing his hand.

“Alright then, shall we?” He asked, giving her hand a light tug.

She smiled, her nose scrunching up adorably as she nodded and let him lead the way with Parker walking at her left. They’d barely taken a dozen steps when the blonde was turning and leading her in through a set of doors at their left. Her brow furrowed in slight confusion. 

“Steve?” She asked curiously as he guided her in through a set of doors and they started walking across what sounded to her like a nearly vacant lobby.

The heels of her boots clicked steadily against the tiled floor, echoing back at her and she turned her head curiously in the blonde’s direction. He squeezed her hand in reassurance and she decided to put her trust in him and really, she did trust him. He’d never given her any reason to do otherwise. 

They came to a stop a few moments later and Steve pressed the button to call the elevator. When she heard the ding as it arrived, the doors making a soft sound as they opened in front of them, she took a nervous breath. Steve stepped into the elevator, but as he tried to lead her inside, she stopped, planting her feet firmly in her spot just outside the doors.

He took a deep breath and squeezed her hand once more in reassurance. “You live here?” She asked quietly, still refusing to budge as the blonde continued to hold her hand.

He nodded, moving to put his leg against the elevator doors to prevent them from closing. “I do live here, Percy. For a few years now, actually,” He told her carefully, his eyes scanning her face.

He wished she would have removed her sunglasses. 

She took a slightly shaky breath before whispering, “But isn’t this Stark Tower?”

Living in the city, she’d become pretty familiar with its layout, even if she didn’t venture around it very much. But she wasn’t stupid, she’d known that the coffee shop was right next door to the building since her first visit to Gloria’s.

“It is,” Came Steve’s slow exhale filling the space between them and she swallowed hard before giving him a nervous nod and taking that final step into the elevator; the doors sliding shut behind her.

It felt like an eternity before the elevator started its ascent and Percy was left feeling nervous and confused as they finally started moving. But she was startled when Steve’s hand slipped from hers and gently settled against her bicep, curling around her arm tentatively. 

“Do you think you would be comfortable without your glasses on tonight? We’re all friends, Percy. No one would do or say anything to make you feel uncomfortable, I’m sure,” He tried to reassure.

She nodded, reaching up and pulling them off. “I-I know how much you dislike me wearing them,” She started, but Steve’s soft sigh surprised her.

“It’s just-“ He huffed. “They hide your beautiful face, your gorgeous eyes and adorable freckles. You shouldn’t feel the need to hide from us,” He told her earnestly and then felt an awful stab of guilt.

He winced, turning his gaze away from her as she blinked, pocketing her glasses as her cheeks heated. “No…I-I know, Steve,” She said, but there was a hesitancy there that he’d never heard in her voice before and he wanted to kick himself for ever thinking that it was okay not telling her who he was from the start.

The elevator doors dinged as they arrived at their destination and she shifted uncomfortably as the doors slid open at her back and listened as Steve took a deep breath beside her. “The guys are just in the kitchen, dinner’s actually almost ready and the rest of the gang should be here now too,” He told her quietly, his eyes searching hers.

She nodded and moved to step aside and then Steve was grasping her hand in his once again. “Right this way,” He murmured and slowly led her and Parker out of the elevator and into the living room.

She could hear voices coming from nearby and it sounded like quite the group gathering. They sounded happy and rather boisterous and she couldn’t help smiling when she heard Tony’s beautiful laughter amongst it all. 

Steve’s hand tightened in hers and she squeezed his back just as tightly. “Can I take your bag and coat, Percy?” He asked her, his hand carefully releasing hers. 

“Sure,” She said as she slipped her bag from her shoulder before unzipping her spring jacket. 

Steve helped her slip it from her shoulders before he was hanging it over the back of one of the couches and placing her bag atop it. “Thank you,” She said and readjusted her sweater, hoping she looked nice enough.

She wasn’t as used to dressing casually whenever she went out and she had had a hard time deciding what to wear. She’d settled on a burgundy cashmere sweater she’d bought with the help of her publicist and a pair of dark-wash boot-cut jeans she’d always thought fit her quite well.

She still wore heels, but instead of her traditional stilettos, she’d opted for her favourite black leather ankle boots with zippers that cut across diagonally. She’d also tried to style her hair a touch nicer tonight too. She’d decided to use some of her coconut mousse and let it really make her hair more wavy than usual and it didn’t hurt that it smelled rather delightful too.

She fluffed her hair up a bit, smiling nervously as she pushed her sleeves up to her elbows and Steve couldn’t help chuckling under his breath. “You look lovely, Percy,” He told her, giving her a warm smile.

She returned the smile, scrunching her nose up adorably as she shook her head at him. “Ever the charmer,” She sighed and Steve shook his head fondly.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to everyone,” He said before taking her hand in his once again. 

Parker was standing quietly at her side and Percy tugged on his lead lightly. The pup whined happily and she smiled down at him. “Good boy, boo. Time to make some more friends,” She said cheerily and Steve couldn’t help smiling over at her and then looking to her pup.

Parker seemed to be happy enough, his tail wagging and nose sniffing the air and Steve was relieved that he was here with her. Knowing that whatever happened, Parker would be there to help steady her if need be. He took a steadying breath and then he started walking towards the kitchen where his Team was gathered.

“Hey guys,” Steve said lightly, trying to gather the group’s attention and really, that wasn’t too hard.

Bucky, Tony and the others quickly turned their attention to the three of them as they stepped into the kitchen and Persephone smiled shyly as Steve pulled her along beside him. “This is Persephone,” He introduced.

She glanced to him unseeingly and gave him a light chuckle. “Oh, just Percy is fine, Steve,” She murmured.

“Well, hello there,” Came a woman’s voice and Percy smiled nervously as she turned her attention to the sound.

“Hi, I’m Percy. It’s nice to meet you,” She greeted, extending her hand out in an invitation of a handshake.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Percy. I’m Natasha,” She said easily, grasping the woman’s outstretched hand in hers and shaking it firmly.

Percy smiled and nodded and they released their grip on one another. “Nice to meet you, Percy. I’m Clint,” Came a man’s voice from her left.

She turned her head and nodded towards him before offering her hand out to him. He shook it gently and she smiled. “Nice to meet you too, Clint.”

“Hi Percy,” Came Bucky’s shy voice from somewhere nearby and the young woman’s nervous smile faded.

“James,” She said lightly. “It’s nice to hear your voice,” She told him earnestly.

He smiled as he approached her, giving her cheek a quick peck. “It’s nice to see you, doll,” He told her shyly. “You look lovely,” He whispered.

She smiled and bit her lower lip gently, her cheeks heating lightly at the soft peck. She shook her head at him, but then there was Tony’s timid voice murmuring in her ear, “Hey, darling.”

He’d come around from the kitchen table after having set it and come to her side. “Glad you could make it for dinner,” He told her, pressing his hand to her shoulder. “I hope you like Greek.”

Percy beamed at him, turning her gaze in his direction. “Hi Tony, I actually _love_ Greek food,” She confessed.

Tony and the others chuckled softly. “Well, good, because we’ve got enough food here to feed an army, so I hope you’ve brought your appetite with you,” Came another man’s voice. “I’m Bruce, by the way,” The man said and Percy smiled warmly in the direction of his voice.

“Nice to meet you, Bruce and yes, I most certainly did,” She said with a warm chuckle as Tony’s hand slipped from her shoulder and he stepped away.

“My friends!” Came a suddenly booming and boisterous voice and Persephone visibly startled, surprised at the volume and sudden arrival of another person.

The group laughed at the warm greeting and then Tony was muttering to the newcomer to keep his voice down. “Our guest’s here,” Tony whispered, motioning towards the brunette still standing at Steve’s side on the other side of the kitchen island.

The owner of that booming voice turned his attention towards the young woman then and beamed brightly at her as he nodded. “I see that and it looks like she’s brought a friend with her,” He said happily, glancing down to the pup who was standing at her side. 

Percy smiled warmly before she was extending her hand out towards his pleasant voice in greeting. “Hello there, I’m Percy,” She said in way of an introduction.

The man smiled brightly at her before he was coming around the side of the kitchen island and shaking her hand firmly. She almost toppled forward as he did so and she laughed at his enthusiasm, her cheeks heating as she managed to find her footing.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Miss Percy. I’m Thor,” He said excitedly.

Percy’s smile faltered then and the entire group watched as they released their grip on one another’s hands. The young woman’s hand fell to her side, her left that had been gripping the lead of Parker’s harness gripping it to the point where her knuckles had turned nearly bone white.

She took a shaky breath as the colour practically drained from her face, her lips parting in clear shock. “ _T-Thor…_ ” She said in a choked whisper, her throat suddenly feeling incredibly dry. “As in… _Thor Odinson?_ ” She barely dared to whisper.

“That is I!“ He said enthusiastically, his smile still big and bright; clearly oblivious as to how this information was wreaking havoc on her.

She swallowed hard and nodded. “It’s lovely to meet you, Mr. Odinson. I…think…I think I just might need a minute,” She said slowly, sort of in a daze.

The others in the kitchen watched curiously, not quite understanding what was happening. But then Tony and Bucky were sharing nervous glances with Steve who was looking at Percy with a pinched expression on his face. 

He looked worried and frightened, as did Tony and Bucky and Natasha quickly realized what was happening and she hastily grabbed Clint’s hand and then Thor’s and dragged them both over to where Bruce had been working on putting together the salad. 

They didn’t object to being pulled along and Natasha cast a very unimpressed look towards Steve and then inclined her head towards the young woman at his side. Steve cleared his throat uncomfortably and Percy’s head snapped towards the sound.

“ _Steve_ ,” She whispered. “Might I have a private word with you?” She said, faux cheer in her voice.

Steve swallowed hard and nodded. “Of course,” He said, his voice clearly sounding strained.

She searched for his hand and he slipped his hand into hers before he pulled her out of the kitchen and back into the living room. She was breathing deeply, clearly trying to control her breaths as Steve led her farther away from the group. When the blonde stopped walking, Persephone tugged on his hand roughly, practically yanking him towards her.

He bent his head down towards her as she tipped her head up at him. “ _Jesus Christ_ , **_Steve_** -“ She hissed and the blonde’s eyes widened in surprise. “I just met Thor- _Thor,_ ” She practically squeaked.

Steve swallowed hard, his eyes taking in her obviously distressed demeanour. She was shaking and he could feel the tremors in her hand gripping his tightly and he took a fortifying breath before he detached her hand from his and pressed it to his chest; right over his heart.

She relaxed some, her unseeing gaze softening as she splayed her hand wide against his shirt to feel the steady beating of his heart. She inhaled deeply in an attempt to settle herself and Parker whined softly at her feet, sensing her anxiety. She pet the pup’s head in hopes of quieting him and he seemed to calm a little as she did so.

“You’re Steve Rogers, aren’t you?” She asked, barely above a whisper, her head tipping forwards a bit so that she was eye level with his chest.

He took a very shaky breath then and on the heavy exhale murmured, “I am.”

Her next breath came out shaky, her hand flexing against his shirt and Steve caressed the back of her knuckles in an attempt to soothe her. “And…Tony is… _Mr. Stark_ and James,” She took an increasingly distressed breath and he reached out with his free hand to rub her shoulder, trying to comfort her. 

“James is, _James Buchanan Barnes_ ,” She breathed, voice going wobbly around the edges.

Steve’s face pinched up then as he nodded. She looked like she was about to cry. “They are,” He confirmed, swallowing hard. “I’m so sorry for not telling you, Percy. _We’re_ so sorry,” He started to apologize.

But then she was shaking her head, nervous laughter escaping her as she looked unseeingly at him with wide eyes. “This is-this is all just _so surreal_ ,” She gasped, her hand slipping from his chest and he was forced to release her as she took a step away from him.  
She dropped Parker’s lead in her shock and she continued to shake her head as she started running her fingers through her long locks nervously. She was still shaking and Steve wanted to do nothing more than reach out to her and comfort her, but he stopped himself from doing so in case his touch was unwanted.

“I-I don’t understand,” She confessed, her shoulders tense as she held the back of her head. “Why didn’t you just _tell me?_ Why _lie?_ Why keep this a _secret?_ ” She asked in confusion, hurt clearly colouring her tone.

“I was- _we_ ,” He amended. “Were all afraid of what you’d think of us if you knew who we really were,” He confessed, glancing towards the edge of the living room where Bucky and Tony had come to stand and listen.

He took a deep breath then and shook his head. “None of us wanted to lie to you, Percy. We just-we know how the press can make us sound and we didn’t want your opinion of us to be coloured by the media.”

She swallowed past the lump in her throat as she took it all in, her hands slipping from the back of her head to rest limply at her sides. “I guess I understand that…but why let it go on for so long?” She asked in frustration. “I started referring to you as my _best friend_ nearly two weeks after meeting you-you could have told me then,” She said, still clearly upset. 

“I’d already made up my mind about you, Steve-I-“ She took a deep breath. “I _like_ you, Steven Grant Rogers. You’re one of my best friends and I like you for who you are, who you’ve been with me,” She confessed. “The Steve I met? That’s the person I know and adore. The media can say whatever the hell they want to about _Captain America_. I’d never believe a word of it unless it came from your mouth, you jerk,” She said, a shy smile tugging at her lips. 

Steve breathed out loudly, his shoulders visibly relaxing as he watched her, taking everything she’d said in. He shook his head in disbelief. “You’re not mad at me?” He asked timidly, ducking his head a little.

She smiled, reaching out to him and he couldn’t help himself. He took a step forward and took her hand in his, raising it to his cheek. She pressed her palm against him and let out a slow breath. “How could I be?” She murmured.

Steve shook his head and she let her hand slip from his face. “ _Percy_ ,” He whined and she couldn’t help chuckle at the sound.

“You’re Steve Rogers, I can’t honestly be mad at Steve Rogers,” She confessed, giving him a lopsided grin and Steve sighed in exasperation.

Her grin turned into a warm smile a moment later and then it was promptly being wiped off her face when she heard Tony’s nervous voice from somewhere behind her. “What about me?” He asked. “I bet you’re pissed at me for lying to you,” He muttered.

Percy startled, turning towards the sound of his voice. “ _Tony_ ,” She said in obvious surprise. 

She hadn’t realized he’d heard them speaking and she took an unsteady breath as she shook her head. “I-I’m not mad at you either. I’m upset, yes. But not because of what you did. It’s just-“ She started nervously. 

“The reason you felt the need to hide your identities from me is because of the media and that is so _awful_ to think about. Their lies and the crap they spout about not just you guys, but literally _anyone_ in the public eye, is always just _eaten up_ by anyone who listens to it and they believe it as _fact!_ ” She said, starting to get riled up.

“I’m not the kind of person to just soak it all up without giving it a critical once-over. Not at all,” She said firmly, shaking her head. “I don’t believe everything I hear,” She murmured, settling a bit.

Tony took a deep breath, glancing over at Bucky before looking back to her. “So you’re not mad at Steve or I…and granted, I’ve only known you for a few weeks, so really it makes Steve’s secrecy worse than mine,” He tried to tease, smirking nervously over at the blonde.

“ _Hey-_ “ Steve interrupted, hurt in his voice as he spoke up from behind her and she put up a hand to silence him.

He quickly shut his mouth, pouting something fierce at his lover across the room, but Tony just waved him off and kept his gaze settled on Percy. “But what about Bucky?” Tony asked gently, glancing over at the brunette who was fidgeting nervously at his side, eyes downcast and shoulders drawn up around his ears.

The heavy exhale that escaped the young woman surprised them all and she quickly brought a hand up to cover her mouth. “ _Oh dear God,_ ” She breathed. “Y-you call him _Bucky. Of course_ you call him **_Bucky_ ,”** She gasped, running her hands through her hair nervously once again.

“ _I-_ “ She started but then quickly shook her head, not sure how to continue. 

Her face was twisted in absolute agony and Bucky was fairing no better as he glanced between Tony and Steve, trying not to cry. Tears were welling up in his eyes. He’d known this would be how it went. She would forgive Steve, because Steve was Steve and Tony was too loveable not to forgive. But _him?_ He knew she’d run the other way the minute she found out who he was.

He was sure she knew all about the crimes he had committed while under Hydra’s thumb and he knew she’d never be able to get over that sort of thing. He’d killed innocent people and he didn’t expect her to forgive him for that, didn’t expect _anyone_ to ever forgive him, if he was being truly honest with himself. 

He thought that he was never truly worthy of her friendship from the start, but he just wanted it _so_ _badly_. So he lied and he regretted it, yes, but at least he’d been able to cherish the time he’d spent with her if that’s all he’d ever have.

“When I met Steve,” She suddenly breathed, disrupting his thoughts. “He was definitely a gentleman, so sweet and kind and helpful,” She continued, smiling fondly. “Knowing that he’s Captain America- _wow_ , yeah-totally makes sense now,” She said with a huff of laughter escaping her.

Steve smiled uncomfortably behind her, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “He’s one of the kindest men I’ve ever met,” She confessed and then a fond smile was tugging at her lips. “And then when I met you, Tony- _Mr. Stark_ ,” She amended, her cheeks heating wonderfully. “Wow, uh, _yeah_ ,” She said with a bit of a chuckle.

“You were charming and sweet and friendly and I was just-“ She took a deep breath and shook her head. “I was impressed by you _before_ I knew you were _The_ Tony Stark,” She told him. “You’re _Iron-Man_ ,” She said on a heavy exhale, as if just realizing that now.

“You fight by Captain America’s side and help protect us from all kinds of awful things with the help of the rest of your Team-with _The Avengers_ ,” She said in clear awe and appreciation.

But then she was shaking her head, her hand coming up to rub at her left bicep nervously as she took a very unsteady breath. “But when I met James,” She whispered, her chin dropping towards the floor. “He was so shy and unsure of himself and when he asked to pet Parker that first time…I felt a kind of connection with him. He sounded so _vulnerable_ and I just-it _hurt_ -knowing that someone else could feel just as I did-could feel just as vulnerable,” She confessed with a frown marring her beautiful features.

“Finding out that he’s James Buchanan Barnes-the _Winter Soldier_ -I just-“ She closed her eyes, her heartbreak written clear as day upon her face, her voice filled with sorrow.

Bucky turned away then, not wanting to hear more. He couldn’t bear to hear her say all the awful things she’d heard about him. Tony and Steve watched, hurt flashing in their eyes as he started towards the elevator. They didn’t move to stop him though and he’d almost made it to the elevators when he heard her sure whisper.

“You’re the _bravest_ , most _courageous_ man I have _ever met_ , James Barnes,” She whispered. “And I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” She said, her right hand shifting from her bicep to press over her heart. 

Bucky stopped dead in his tracks, now only a few short feet away from her. He was struck utterly speechless as he turned to look at her. She was still facing Tony, Steve at her back and he off to her left by the elevator doors and he wasn’t sure if she knew where he was or not; but clearly she knew he’d been listening.

Her eyes were still closed and she took another deep breath before exhaling slowly. “I can’t even begin to understand what you’ve gone through in your lifetime, sweetheart. I can’t imagine the pain you’ve endured, the loss you’ve experienced, the helplessness,” She said, her lower lip trembling as she blinked away the sudden tears that had rushed to her eyes.

“I don’t think I have _ever_ met someone who has suffered so much and so greatly in all my life and I don’t think I ever will meet another,” She whispered. “You are a remarkable man, James and I could _never_ - ** _ever_** -be angry with you for protecting yourself like you did-because that’s what it _was_ , James,” She breathed.

“You were afraid that I would judge you and you _protected_ _yourself_. That’s all, honey,” She murmured, a tear escaping her.

She felt it against her cheek and quickly reached up to brush it away. “And all I want you to know is that I’m not mad at you for it and if you could be awesome and stop staring at me and give me a hug already, that would be great,” She gasped, a sob catching in her throat.

“ _Percy_ ,” He whispered and then he was striding towards her and quickly wrapping both of his arms around her, holding her tightly against him.

She sobbed brokenly against his chest, her hands coming up between them and resting against his shirt as he drew her to him. “ _Shhh_ -“ He breathed against her temple, closing his eyes as he took an unsteady breath of his own and just breathed in her scent.

She could feel the warmth, the solidness of his body pressing against her and she clutched weakly at the front of his shirt as he held her. She could tell the difference between his arms immediately. She’d always noticed he’d avoided touching her with his left hand and she’d never asked about it. But now, having one metal and one flesh and blood holding her so carefully, she felt so incredibly protected.

She had heard a lot about the arm, about him and what he’d gone through. She just didn’t know what was true or false in regard to the arm and she really didn’t care. Because so long as he wasn’t in pain and he could hug her with it, pet Parker with it and hold his lovers hands with it, then that’s all she needed to know. She trusted him, she trusted _them_. And trust wasn’t an easy thing for her to give.

“I’m so sorry, Percy,” Bucky whispered against her hair. “I never meant to hurt you-“ He started, but she quickly shook her head, pulling back from him slightly.

“Stop it, James. I’m fine, I’m not hurt, not really. Trust is a big deal for me and just…I’m happy the three of you told me, even if it happened like this,” She murmured.

He nodded a touch reluctantly before letting out a heavy sigh and releasing his grasp on her. She reached down when she felt Parker lean against her leg and gently patted the top of his head. He whined loudly and she gave him a timid smile. “Sorry, Parker, I’m okay,” She consoled, scratching at his ears.

He seemed to relax and she bent down a bit to pick up his lead. “For what it’s worth, Percy-“ Steve whispered. “We really are sorry.”

Percy turned then to face him and she nodded. “I know.”

Steve came up and kissed her cheek then too and Tony couldn’t help himself from coming closer as well. He pushed some of her long hair back behind her ear as he murmured his own apology, letting his hand settle against her shoulder comfortingly.

Thor shook his head curiously as he watched the four in the living room. With the way the floor was designed, everything was open concept and the group in the kitchen had not only been able to see what had happened, but they’d also been able to hear. Something Percy hadn’t quite figured out just yet.

“I don’t understand,” Thor whispered to Natasha.

The red-head looked up at him. “What do you mean?” She asked just as quietly.

“How did she not know who they were?” He asked in another whisper.

Natasha’s brows knit together. “She’s blind, Thor.”

Thor’s brows pinched as he finally seemed to understand. He watched as Percy pet the dog she was with and he was finally able to see the lettering on the side of the dog’s vest. “Oh,” Was his only response as he observed the group in the living room.

They all rejoined in the kitchen when Bruce announced he’d finished making the salad. The Team set the table easily and soon they were all seated and chatting amongst each other animatedly as they enjoyed their meal. Percy found herself sitting beside Bucky, having him finally on her right for once and Natasha at her left.

She’d come to quickly realize that Natasha was Black Widow and Clint, Hawkeye and well, Bruce, the Hulk. She didn’t let it colour her opinions of these people after only just meeting them and she soon found herself enjoying the conversations she was having with the Team over the course of their meal. Thor was uncharacteristically quiet for the first little while, observing his friends and new acquaintance, but he soon relaxed enough and started chatting with her and the rest of his friends. 

She discovered that Tony was teased a lot, as was Steve. But where Tony was quick to quip back, Steve simply laughed and tried to brush it off. She secretly wondered if he blushed and swore to find out sooner rather than later. Bucky kept pretty quiet, just voicing his own thoughts every once in a while when someone asked him specifically. She realized he was rather shy with his friends to an extent, though not when it came to Steve or Tony. 

His lovers clearly liked to tease him a bit and Bucky did his best to shoot harmless jabs back and tell them off when he felt like it. They all seemed so close to one another and Percy marvelled at how such an oddball group of people could become friends when they all clearly came from such different walks of life.

So she voiced as much. “How is it you all get along so well? I mean, you’re all just so _different,”_ She blurted. “I just find it so curious as to how such a wildly different bunch of people can all get along so well together and do the things you do.”

The boisterous laughter that filled her ears from all sides made her almost jump and she smiled nervously, her nose scrunching up adorably. “Why is my question so funny?” She asked with a light chuckle of her own. “You don’t all secretly hate each other, do you?” She asked worriedly.

Tony’s over dramatic sigh drew her attention then and she turned her head in his direction. “It uh, it took some getting used to,” He chuckled “I mean, when I first met Spangles-I thought I was going to kill him,” Tony told her with a shake of his head.

Steve laughed and grinned at the genius by his side. “Yeah…pretty sure the feeling was mutual, Shellhead,” He said with a wink.

Percy and the others at the table laughed lightly, the young woman shaking her head in amusement. “And sure, we all sort of brushed each other the wrong way at one point or another. We’re a bunch of hot-heads and our personalities still clash from time to time,” Bruce pointed out. “But when we all realized that we’re in this together-that we all want the same thing- _to do_ -the same thing,” He continued.

“We just sort of made it work. We live together and yeah, people still steal my leftovers and pout something awful whenever I beat them at MarioKart,” Clint interjected with a grin of his own. 

There was a chorus of grumblings and a snicker from Bucky and then Natasha’s soft utterance of; “As long as we don’t run out of PopTarts-everyone gets along _just fine,”_ She said with faux cheer in her voice.

Persephone would have laughed at the ridiculousness of that statement if Thor didn’t grumble under his breath, “I remember that horrid day.”

The others simply groaned in agreement and she was left smiling and shaking her head in disbelief. “Well, I’m glad you’re all friends now,” She told them earnestly. “You’ve all been very pleasant to me and thank you so much for inviting me to dinner. All of your company has been lovely.”

“Okay, she’s really too sweet,” Natasha said with a smile. “We should keep her,” The red-head told them as she linked an arm with the young woman and tugged her against her side.

Persephone laughed, blushing delightfully. “I think we’d like to keep her, definitely,” Tony said with a smile of his own.

“If she’ll have you after the stunt you idiots pulled,” Natasha shot back, giving the three men stern looks.

Percy’s smile faltered then and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Natasha slowly withdrew her arm from hers and Percy turned her head towards the red-head. “It’s really okay,” She said quietly. “It wasn’t done with any sort of malicious intent,” She continued.

“It doesn’t matter,” Steve said firmly. “We knew it was wrong and we still took advantage of your situation,” The blonde said quietly.

Percy just smiled tentatively as she turned her head towards the sound of his voice. “You wouldn’t be the first and you surely won’t be the last, so don’t worry so much over it. I forgive you, Steve. I promise, all is forgiven,” She told him earnestly and listened to the three men’s heavy exhales.

She smiled a little more surely then and relaxed back into her chair, her hand slipping beneath to pet the top of Parker’s head. She was surprised to find Bucky’s hand already there, nestled gently in the pup’s fur at the back of his neck. She rest her hand tentatively atop of the cool metal and Bucky glanced to her nervously when he felt the timid squeeze she then gave him.

“So, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?” Thor asked. “I have heard you are an author.”

Percy smiled and nodded. “Okay, well yes I am. I actually write children’s books mostly, with the life lessons I think are important for the youth of today to understand and practice. Other than that, I sort of lead a pretty boring life.”

“That’s not true at all,” Steve interrupted and Percy scrunched up her nose, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Don’t you start,” She warned and Steve smirked before taking a deep breath.

Steve raised his hand and started to tick off fingers as he went. “She loves to garden, she’s a huge fan of some rather unusual writer’s, she loves to listen to all kinds of music _and_ she knows how to dance,” Steve told them happily and Persephone gave him a dangerous scowl.

It only made the blonde grin wider and the others at the table snicker. “You’d best watch your tongue, _Steven_. I recall some pretty embarrassing confessions you entrusted me with,” She teased and Steve’s grin faltered for half a second.

But then he was scrunching up his nose and shaking his head. “ _Nah_ , I’m not worried. You’d never tell my secrets,“ He said with a way too knowing smirk.

She laughed, crossing her arms over her chest as she shook her head. “ _Damn_ -you got me.”

The others at the table laughed and she just smiled and shrugged, letting her arms fall and her hands settle in her lap. Thor laughed, shaking his head as he observed the young woman. “She’s lovely,” He announced. “ _I_ _like her_ ,” He stated with a firm nod and half the table thought he’d demand them to bring him another.

“T-thank you,” Percy said, a blush colouring her features. “That means a lot coming from someone such as yourself.”

“Nonsense!” He said happily. “I am no one in comparison to someone such as you. I can tell you are a brave young woman with fire in your heart and a wealth of knowledge in your mind,” He continued. “You are a unique individual, my dear Percy.”

She smiled tentatively across at the man and couldn’t stop her blush from deepening. “You’re really too kind and my goodness,” She said, reaching up and pressing her hands to her cheeks in an attempt to cool them. “You’re making me blush terribly.”

Thor and the rest of the table simply chuckled softly in response. “Okay, I gotta ask-“ Clint suddenly interjected and Percy found herself turning her head towards his voice. “Your name-I think Steve introduced you as _Persephone?_ ” He asked curiously.

She couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “That’s _me_ ,” She said, faux cheer in her voice and Bucky snickered from beside her.

She glared playfully at the man and he just grinned. “That’s quite a name,” Clint said with a smile.

“I know, I know- _please_ , don’t get me started,” She pleaded, but then Bucky was shaking his head and outright grinning over at the archer. 

“She can’t stand being called by her full name,” Bucky told them and Percy simply huffed in response.

“But it’s a lovely name!” Came Thor’s upset exclamation; about five decibels too loud.

Persephone chuckled, her cheeks heating slightly. “So I’ve been told, but it’s a bit eccentric. Don’t you think?”

Natasha snickered. “You’re talking to a demigod with the name _Thor_.”

Percy laughed and quickly covered her mouth. “I’m sorry, that was- _nevermind_ -I just, I’ve never really gone by Persephone. Everyone has always called me Percy, unless I was in trouble. My mother liked to use it whenever I misbehaved,” She said, still laughing lightly.

“ _Ah-_ “ Came Thor’s soft response. “But there is a history in that name. It’s such an unusual story and it’s just so beautiful.”

Persephone, smiled warmly, tilting her head as she listened to him. “I don’t know how I feel about being attached to the stories personally, but I get the feeling that the name has clearly made an impression on you, perhaps the goddess as well?” She asked curiously.

“Indeed, I was very curious to learn about how she had been tempted by Hades,” Thor confessed.

“Wasn’t it a fruit of some kind?” Bruce asked.

Percy sighed deeply, turning to settle her unseeing gaze upon Bucky and giving him a very exasperated look. “Why don’t you tell them, _James?_ ” She prompted.

The man was trying to cover his impossibly wide grin with his hands as he rested his elbows on the table and he couldn’t help himself when he blurted, “ _Pomegranates_.”

She huffed and the others looked at the pair curiously. She rolled her eyes in only slight annoyance and Bucky snickered from beside her. “He’s been trying to get me to eat pomegranates for the last two months,” She said with a very put upon sigh. “He thinks he’s being funny and I think he’s being a jerk,” She said fondly, giving his arm a light shove.

Tony laughed, even going so far as to snort in his excitement but then he was muttering to Jarvis under his breath to add pomegranates to their grocery list. Steve rolled his eyes as he watched Bucky point at the genius and nod frantically. “Stark’s got the right idea,” Bucky said excitedly.

Everyone was laughing and Persephone couldn’t help jumping slightly when a stranger’s voice rang out seemingly from all around her. “Added to the list, Sir,” Came the newcomers voice.

“Oh-“ She said in surprise. “Someone I haven’t met yet?” She asked curiously, turning her head in an attempt to find the source of the voice and failing.

“Oh I’m sorry, Percy,” Tony said quickly. “That’s Jarvis,” Tony introduced. “My AI.”

Percy’s brows furrowed. “AI. As in, _Artificial Intelligence?_ ” She asked curiously.

“Mhm, he’s sort of everywhere. He can see us in most of the rooms of the Tower, except for private quarters of course and he’s always around to help.”

Percy was shaking her head in disbelief. “Artificial Intelligence…” She whispered. “That’s incredible, Tony-ah- _Mr. Stark_ ,” She amended, suddenly feeling as if she really had no business calling him anything but.

Tony groaned loudly. “ _Please_ don’t call me Mr. Stark,” He said in clear desperation.

Percy’s cheeks pinked and she turned to him. “Sorry, I just-“ She stammered and Tony huffed. 

“Just Tony is fine, Percy. You don’t want me to start calling you Miss Matthews or Persephone every chance I get, do you?” He teased lightly.

Bucky snickered and the blush on her cheeks only deepened. “Of course not,” She said with a laugh and Tony grinned. 

“So-“ Tony murmured. “ _Pomegranates?_ ” 

She rolled her eyes, huffing out a breath as she gave the group an exasperated smile. “I’m too careful. You’ll never get me to eat them,” She said with a confident smirk.

Bucky bit down on his lower lip as he looked to her. “How do you know there wasn’t some mixed in with the salad dressing?” He asked lowly.

Percy’s lips parted and her eyes widened in surprise. “You didn’t-“ She breathed.

But Bucky’s warm laughter was enough to tell her that he had only been kidding. “Nah, doll. I wouldn’t do that to ya’. If I’m gonna’ get you to eat ‘em, I’m gonna make sure you find out the second you do so,” He told her teasingly.

She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a dork,” She muttered, shaking her head with a chuckle. 

He simply laughed along with the rest of the table’s occupants and soon the Team found themselves cleaning up the dishes and clearing away the table. Tony, Steve and Bucky remained in the kitchen to finish tidying up while Natasha and the others went into the living room to get themselves set up. 

“We’re just going to put on a movie in the other room, but we’ll keep it down. I know you and Steve want to discuss your book,” Tony told her as he set down another glass of water in front of her. 

“That’s fine, Tony. Thank you again for dinner, I’m really glad to have met everyone tonight and the food was wonderful,” She told him earnestly, reaching up and tentatively pressing the palm of her hand against his bicep.

He smiled down at her, moving to settle his own hand over hers, giving it a timid squeeze.“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, darling. And I’m very happy you came,” He murmured.

She smiled and he let his hand slip and she too as he started to draw away. Steve and Bucky were watching them with timid smiles on their faces and then the blond was turning and giving Bucky’s cheek a quick kiss before he dashed into the living room to grab the stack of drawings he’d left on the table.

Bucky bit his lower lip as he watched Tony head into the living room too and then Steve came back with his folders and sketchbook in hand. “Hey, Percy?” Bucky asked gently, turning his attention to the young woman. 

“Hmm?” She said, turning her head in the direction of his voice and tipping her face up towards him. 

“Think I could maybe borrow Parker for a bit? He looks like he could use a good cuddle,” Bucky said, feeling rather shy all of a sudden as she looked to him, unseeing.

She couldn’t contain the beautiful smile as she looked to him and nodded. “Of course you can, sweetheart. I’m sure he would love to cuddle with you.”

Bucky’s smile turned a little less nervous then, watching the way her eyes shifted as she looked to him. From here he could see the amber flecks and he bit his lower lip gently, his gaze straying to the band of freckles high across her cheeks as he nodded. “Should I take off his harness?”

Percy nodded, shifting her legs so that Parker could scoot out. He immediately padded towards him and Bucky was really beaming now. “Go right ahead. He likes to lay down on top of me whenever we cuddle on the couch. So just fair warning, you’ll probably be covered in fur by the time the movie is over,” She said through light laughter.

“Won’t be a problem,” He said happily, patting the top of Parker’s head before he reached down and unhooked the pup’s harness.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” She teased and Bucky laughed lightly before he was coercing Parker into the living room.

Steve watched as Bucky planted himself on one of the couches and sprawled out before patting his belly and without much thought, Parker hopped right up on top of the brunette and promptly sprawled out over his chest. 

Bucky’s beautiful laughter only made him smile stupidly and shake his head in fondness as he watched the pair get comfortable on the couch together. “Cuddling already?” Percy murmured.

“They are,” Steve told her with a sigh. “Wish you could see how happy they look together,” He whispered as he took his seat next to his friend. 

She smiled sadly and let her shoulder bump against his lightly. “It’s okay,” She murmured. “I can tell when he’s really happy. You can hear people’s smiles when they talk, you know,” She whispered. 

“Plus…his laughter always sounds as warm as sunshine,” She confessed, ducking her head in obvious embarrassment; she hadn’t really meant to say such a thing out loud.

Steve couldn’t help turning his gaze on her then, just watching the curve of her lips as she smiled shyly, the way her eyes shone in the light and the way her cheeks stayed rosy even without makeup. He shook his head and just let himself look for a moment or two longer before he slid the folder towards her. 

“I uh, took a few liberties with the drawings. I wanted you to be able to enjoy them, so I tried a couple of different things for you,” He confessed after a beat.

“Oh?” She asked curiously.

“I made three drawings of each scene. Well, one is a sketch, the second is a more polished coloured pencil rendition, and the third…is a mix of mediums,” He told her, carefully opening up one of his folders as he slid it in front of her.

“A mix?” She asked.

“Those ones are just for you,” He said, reaching out for her hand as she placed it atop the table.

He guided her hand towards the thicker paper and let her settle overtop of the edge. “Just feel it,” He told her quietly, taking his hand away from hers.

Her brows creased in confusion. “But won’t I smudge the drawing?” She asked worriedly.

“You won’t,” He insisted and watched as her fingers twitched lightly against the edge of the page.

She frowned skeptically but then carefully traced the tips of her fingers tentatively against the paper. But then she felt something odd, something textured. “What-“ She started curiously, brows pinching up in confusion.

“I used acrylic paints and coloured pencils in these ones, so they have texture. I can actually guide your hand around the painting and explain to you what each thing is and you’ll be able to feel the shapes of the animals and scenery,” He explained.

The rush of air that escaped her then and the absolutely heart-wrenchingly adoring gaze she turned on him thereafter, was enough to make his heart ache. He tried to shake himself free of her stare and instead settled his hand over top of hers to guide her along the edge of the page once more. 

“Do you feel this?” He asked. “Just trace your fingertips a little to the left and then back to the right and you’ll be able to feel the bark of a tree.”

She did as she was told and was left absolutely speechless as she traced the outline of the branch, feeling the textured bark of it. She shook her head in disbelief, but then there was a patch of smoothness she noticed, like an outline around where the branch was set. 

“I used both the blankness of the page and coloured pencils to simply outline the objects so that you could better differentiate between the figures on the page. When you feel here-“ He said, gently pressing her fingertips against the slipperiness of the coloured pencil. “This is the outline of another figure. If you follow the almost oily quality of the coloured pencil, you can actually feel its shape before you move inward and feel the paint,” He told her.

She let her fingertips glide against the page, following the coloured pencil as it formed a shape. She tried to picture it in her minds eye, tried to understand what she was feeling. “It’s the canary, Edwin, isn’t it?” She asked, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiled so beautifully up at him.

“Why don’t you feel inwards now?” He suggested, not giving her an answer just yet.

She bit her lower lip and then eagerly let her fingertips ghost inwards from the coloured edges. She beamed with excitement the second she felt the texture. “These feel like feathers!” She almost shouted in amazement.

Unbeknownst to her, she had managed to draw the attention of the Team in the living room with her happy surprise. The group couldn’t help glancing over towards the kitchen when they heard her and saw the beautiful smile gracing her features and the happy one Steve wore in response. 

“I thought you might like that,” He told her. “I had to be careful with the brush strokes, make sure they all went the same way. But yeah, the effect is definitely like feathers.”

She was smiling so big and bright at him and she shook her head in disbelief. “ _Steve_ -this is so incredible, you have no idea,” She breathed.

Steve just watched as she felt more of the drawing and gave her a timid smile. “I’m glad you think so,” He whispered.

They stayed like that for a little while as he guided her through three more of the special paintings he’d made for her, explaining that the coloured pencil drawings and sketches she could take in to her publicist and see what they thought. 

She had readily agreed to the idea and said that she’d call her publicist first thing in the morning to set up an appointment with all three of them. She was then insisting that she would like to have his special copies put into open frames and hung up in her home so that she might feel them whenever she liked.

He was stupidly pleased that she liked the drawings so much and couldn’t wipe the silly grin off his face for the rest of the evening. They chatted about each drawing and he told her what colours he’d used for the animals and she’d bitten her lip so hard when he finally got around to describing the colour of the canary, that he thought she was going to bite it right off.

“What’s the matter? Did I use the wrong colour? Did you want him to be really bright yellow?” He asked nervously.

But she quickly shook her head and smiled so brightly at him. “You just described him as being _buttercream_ coloured, Steve. You don’t even know what that does to me,” She said amongst her light laughter.

He laughed nervously, feeling rather confused before he asked, “Why? Is that a weird colour?”

She shook her head in disbelief. “No, Steve. That is my favourite colour and you even used the right word to describe it. A soft pastel yellow with cream undertones- _buttercream,_ ” She said dreamily. “My bedroom was painted in that colour when I was growing up.”

“And I even painted my new bedroom that colour too. You know me, I love splashes of colour all over the place,” She told him. “Even when I can’t see it and appreciate it, I know it’s there and it makes me feel happy to know that I’m surrounded by brightness,” She confessed.

Steve beamed at her, so relieved and he nodded. “Glad I picked the right colours then,” He murmured, watching as her eyes seemed to twinkle as she looked towards him, unseeing. 

She smiled and let out a soft sigh. “Thank you so much for this. This must have taken hours to put together for me and I’ll make sure you’re paid for all of your time-“ She started, but was interrupted by the blonde’s scoff.

“Uh, no way, Percy. This is all for you, free of charge. Don’t you even hint at trying to pay me for these. I know all the proceeds from your books go to charities and I wouldn’t dream of trying to make money off of someone who does something so wonderful,” He told her firmly.

She shook her head, smiling at him fondly. “You really are Steve Rogers, aren’t you?” She murmured, more to herself than to him.

Steve simply watched her with a warm smile on his face, not bothering to answer her. They were quickly interrupted by the film in the other room ending and the group yawning and stretching and making all kinds of noise as they got up and started to tidy up the living room.

“I’ll put all these in their folders for you and you can hang on to them, okay?” Steve suggested. 

She simply nodded and he put them all back into their folders. “How’d it go?” Bucky asked as he came into the kitchen with Tony and Parker in tow.

Percy smiled over at him. “I can hardly wait to show my publicist, I think she’s going to be floored.”

Steve simply chuckled and shrugged. “They’re nothin’ special,” He tried to demure.

Bucky and Tony both rolled their eyes and Percy shook her head adamantly. “Don’t get all modest on me, _Steven_ ,” She chastised and the blonde smiled shyly.

Percy went to stand and she yawned a little. “Oh dear, it must be getting late. Parker and I should really get going,” She told them as she felt her pup come over to rub himself against her leg. 

“It’s just on 9:30pm,” Bucky said. “I’ll put his harness back on for you,” He told her before he was picking it up and kneeling down to put it on the pup.

“Thank you, James,” She said gently.

“One of us can walk you home,” Steve started as the others slowly filtered into the kitchen to say their goodbyes.

“Oh, don’t worry about me. I can walk back with Parker. We’ll be alright,” Percy tried, but she could sense the skepticism practically radiating off of the group.

“One of us will walk you home,” Tony insisted, but then Percy was rolling her eyes and turning her head towards him.

“I’ll be fine, _honest_ ,” She tried to reassure.

But pretty well the entire group wasn’t going to let her walk home alone in the city at night and they all seemed to look to Bucky who nodded and mouthed, ‘o _n it_ ’before the group started saying their proper goodbyes.

Steve helped her into her coat and she tucked his drawings into her bag before righting herself. She gave them all one last smile before she was waving. “Thanks for having me. It was really lovely meeting you all.”

“It was our pleasure,” Thor told her loudly and she smiled even brighter. 

“Well, I’m sure I’ll get to see you all again soon,” She said, sounding so hopeful.

“Of course, Percy,” Tony murmured. 

“Why don’t I at least accompany you down to the lobby?” Steve suggested and Percy nodded, knowing she wouldn’t get out of this at the very least.

She chuckled softly. “Alright, Captain. Let’s go,” She said happily, extending her left hand towards him and the blonde smirked before taking it in his and then shifting to link his arm with hers.

“Such a gentleman,” She teased, giving him a wink and the group just laughed and said their goodnights as they headed towards the elevators.

The second the doors shut, Bucky dashed towards the emergency elevator. “If she thinks I’m gonna’ let her walk home by herself at this hour,” Bucky muttered.

“ _At this hour_ ,” Tony teased, snickering under his breath. “Wow, you really are quite the nonagenarian,” He called, but Bucky was already shooting him an unimpressed look as he slipped into the elevator that would take him down to their private garage. 

“I’m glad you could come tonight,” Steve said as he walked Percy out of the elevator and across the empty lobby.

She smiled up at him warmly. “So am I. I really did have a lovely time.”

Steve just smiled down at her as they came to the doors. He opened it for her and they stepped out into the sidewalk together. “I’ll call you in the morning when I’ve set up a meeting for us with my publicist and we’ll go from there,” She told him, letting her arm slip from his as she turned to face him.

“That sounds great, Percy. You get home safe, alright?” He ordered. 

“I’ll be just fine, I’ll even send you a message when I get in, okay?” She reassured with a soft smile tugging at her lips.

“Please,” He said, sounding a little embarrassed; he worried about her, what could he say?

She chuckled lightly before she was giving him a timid wave. “Have a good night, Steve and I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” She said and he nodded, watching as she and Parker turned and started walking away.

“Night, Percy,” He murmured, his gaze following her as she disappeared down the street. He couldn’t help biting his lower lip when he caught sight of Bucky ducking out from the side of the building and flash a quick hand signal towards him.

Steve waved him off before heading back inside, confident that Bucky would get her home safe.

 

Percy hummed softly under her breath to herself as she made her way towards home. She only lived a couple of blocks from the Tower truthfully and she’d made the trek hundreds of times at least. She knew the route home, as did Parker and they encountered no obstacles as they made their way.

The streets weren’t by any means empty. It was a Saturday night in New York after all. But no one seemed to bother her as they continued along. When they reached her little brownstone, she knelt down and removed Parker’s harness, motioning him towards the bit of grass surrounding the lonely tree at the end of her front walkway. 

The pup barked happily and then pranced away from her to do his business and Percy let out a sigh as she walked along the path, still humming softly under her breath as she came to the steps that led up to her front door. She took a seat on the topmost step and waited for Parker to come back to her. 

He was still busy taking his time prancing around and sniffing everything in sight and so she waited patiently for him to finish. She propped her chin in the palm of her hand as she rested her elbow against her knee, just thinking and relaxing; _listening_.

It was actually a warmer night, much warmer than she’d thought. It was only the beginning of May, but the warm breeze that stirred her hair and caressed her cheeks made her wonder if the warmer weather was finally here to stay. She hoped tomorrow would be a nice day. She’d been wanting to do some more gardening, having started a few days prior and she thought Sunday sounded like a good opportunity to do so.

She couldn’t help smiling softly as she listened to Parker padding up the walkway towards her and then up the steps. He came up and sat beside her on the top step before she leaned against him, his tongue lolling out as he licked her cheek playfully. She couldn’t help laughing lightly before she let out a gentle sigh. 

She had felt eyes on her the entire walk home. Since she’d left Steve’s company, she’d felt a shadow accompanying her. She was quite sure she knew whom it was and had wanted to simply turn around and call his name. But she didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable or put him on the spot, so she’d simply kept quiet and let him walk her home.

She did feel protected under his watchful gaze and she wondered if perhaps he maybe knew that she was aware of him following her. With her sight gone, her other senses had taken up much of the slack and her hearing had thus become just that much more honed. She never told him that, of course. Not wanting to upset him or make him feel uncomfortable.

But the ever so subtle shifting of what she now realized were the metal plates in his arm could be heard sometimes when they’d sat together over coffee. She hadn’t been able to hear it much unless they were quite close and there had been a moment along the walk home where she’d stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change and she’d heard the sound of the metal shifting from just behind her. 

But it wasn’t the sound that had first alerted her to his presence; it was his watchful gaze. She always felt people’s stares, but sometimes she’d get this little prickling at the back of her neck and she’d flush, feeling hot all over. She knew that whomever was staring at her must be really looking and sometimes she wondered what they might be thinking.

She found herself feeling embarrassed most of those times and she’d blush something awful before ducking out of wherever it was she had been. But when Bucky had been with her and she’d felt him looking at her like that and got that same prickle of goosebumps rising up along the back of her neck and down her arms…

_Well_ …she wasn’t sure it was exactly an appropriate response, the way her body had responded and her mind had wandered. She didn’t think he’d meant her any harm by looking at her so intensely. He was merely curious, she supposed. Being able to stare so openly at another person so unabashedly, was a rare thing.

She smiled tentatively, draping her arm around Parker’s back as she squeezed him to her. “Come on, Parker. It’s time for bed,” She said before she got to her feet and started towards her door. 

She fished out her keys and unlocked the door, motioning Parker inside. He padded along ahead of her and she stopped in the open doorway, turning her head to the side to gaze unseeingly to her right. She could hear nothing out of the ordinary, but she felt his eyes on her nevertheless and she smiled.

“Good night, James,” She murmured. “Perhaps next time, you might like to walk beside me,” She whispered, her lips curving up into a timid smile.

She heard a slightly shaky inhale from much closer than she had expected and her cheeks heated. She turned her head away in an attempt to hide it and bit down on her lower lip harder than she intended. “Good night, Percy…and yeah, next time,” Bucky agreed, sounding so soft and hopeful. 

She nodded lightly before she was then disappearing into her home, leaving Bucky standing at the bottommost step. He stood there, watching as she disappeared inside, waiting for the sound of the lock clicking behind her. Once it reached his ears, he relaxed some before turning on his heel and heading back towards the Tower. He couldn’t help casting one more long look over his shoulder at the brownstone and wondering how she’d known he was there. He’d make sure to ask her at some point about it.


	4. Four

The next morning Percy had called Steve to let him know that she’d set up a meeting with her publicist for the three of them this coming Wednesday, provided there were no calls to assemble and nothing urgent came up. He’d readily agreed to come and meet with them and said he looked forward to seeing her in a couple of days.

“We’ll have to all get together and celebrate once we’ve got your book put together, Percy. Think you’d like that?” Steve asked her as he busied himself with putting on his runners, phone tucked between his ear and shoulder as he sat down on his living room couch.

She smiled, biting her lower lip gently. “I would really like that, Steve. That’d be a lot of fun, but not a big fuss, _please._ ”

“Alright, Percy. Well, you enjoy your day. I think it’s going to be a nice one,” He murmured, rising to his feet.

“You too, Steve. Enjoy your run this morning and say hello to the boys and the rest of the Team for me,” She said happily.

“Of course, Percy. I’ll talk to you later,” He continued.

“Take care,” She replied, before they hung up.

She had then busied herself making breakfast before she decided to head out to the garden for the morning. It was there that she spent most of the morning out in the sunshine with Parker moseying about their small backyard while she worked at planting some of the flowers she’d had picked up for her a couple of days prior. 

She had been told of their colours, insisting to her helpful neighbour that she only wanted the brightest flowers she could find. Evelyn and Eric, her neighbours, had been lovely enough to bring her quite a number of trays of different kinds of flowers and she’d even asked for several packets of seeds of various kinds to plant as well.

She’d been working on her garden for a few days now, just a couple of hours each morning when the weather was nice enough. But this morning was proving to be hot. It was definitely going to hit a record today, that was for sure. 

Percy sighed, wiping her brow with the back of her arm as she sat back on her heels for a moment to take a breath. Parker perked up from his spot on the deck by the back door, having been watching her and resting on and off in the sunshine.

She’d been sweating something fierce while she worked, the Sun beating down on her from above. She loved being in the sunshine and she was thankful she’d remembered to actually put sunscreen on and wear a hat. It was one of her big Sun hats with the wide brim that ran all the way around and light blue in colour, just like the one her mother had worn back when she was young and liked to work in their family garden.

She sighed, getting to her feet and stretching her arms high over her head. She couldn’t help groaning, her muscles aching a bit from the way she’d been kneeling. She started towards the back door to head in for a glass of water, removing her gardening gloves and setting them down on the steps as she made her way along and as she was just about to head inside, when she heard a voice coming around from the side of the house.

“Hello?” A male voice called and Parker immediately hopped up and started barking as he went towards the side gate.

Percy startled, not sure who it was exactly. She leaned over the side of the railing on the deck and poked her head out. “Hello?“ She called back.

There was a shuffling and steps coming down the pathway at the side of the house and Percy smiled in surprise when the man spoke again. “ _Percy?_ ” Tony called curiously.

“Tony? _Hey_ -I’m around the back, come on through!” She called, making her way back down the steps and towards the side gate.

Tony greeted Parker warmly before he was unlocking the side gate and slipping in, careful not to let Parker out by accident. “Good morning, Tony. What are you doing here?” She asked curiously as she heard him saying his ‘hello’s’ to Parker.

Tony was grinning from ear to ear at ear, but of course she couldn’t see it. She could, however, hear it in his voice. “ _Well,_ don’t you look lovely,” He practically purred.

Percy’s cheeks heated so quickly, the blush spreading down her neck and across her collarbones. She was clad in nothing but a pair of black athletic shorts and a white tank-top; an outfit that really left little to the imagination. 

She quickly wrapped her arms around herself, feeling rather embarrassed. She hadn’t been expecting any company today and hadn’t bothered dressing for anything other than gardening. She pulled her hat off, hoping to sort of maybe use it as a shield as she held it in front of her. She couldn’t help laughing nervously as she smoothed her hand over her hair, sure that she had a ton of flyaways. 

Tony merely smiled at her, taking a few steps towards her. He couldn’t help just looking at her, admiring her. “I-I wasn’t expecting any company,” She confessed, still blushing terribly.

“Don’t worry about it. You’ve been keeping busy. Have you been gardening all morning?” He asked her curiously, his eyes still roaming over her frame, noting the dirt covering her tank-top and shorts and most of her skin.

She swallowed hard and nodded, feeling very embarrassed by her state of dress. _This was Tony Stark, Of all people._ She thought. “Yeah, I thought I’d take advantage of the warm weather while it’s here.”

He chuckled softly and nodded, his gaze still sweeping over her. “Actually, that’s why I came. The Team is heading over to Coney Island shortly and I thought you might like to join us.”

Percy’s lips parted, her eyebrows raising in surprise. “You want me to come to Coney Island with you guys?” She asked in disbelief.

Tony smiled, his head tilting curiously as he watched her. “Yeah, I think it’d be lovely to have you and Parker along for the day. I know they all really just want to go for the food and maybe take a walk down to the pier and such. Think you’d like to come along?” 

Percy couldn’t help the smile she gave him then, feeling so happy, nervous and excited all at once. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve been to Coney Island…I’d really love to join you guys,” She admitted.

Tony smiled warmly at her and nodded before teasingly adding, “Good, then you should probably go and get changed.”

Percy blush only deepened and she nodded quickly. “I’ll just be a few minutes. I need to take a quick shower and put on something more appropriate. You can come inside, if you like?” She suggested, chuckling lightly.

Tony nodded, glancing over towards the back door that led into her home. “Sounds good, darling. I told them I’d meet them there, so we’re not in a hurry.”

She nodded before she was taking a couple of steps towards the deck, her hand outstretched in search of the railing. “Okay, I’ll be really quick- _promise,_ ” She told him with a smile as she grasped the edge of the railing and started up the stairs. 

Tony just smiled and followed her inside. “Please make yourself comfortable. There’s juice and water in the fridge, I’ll just be a minute,” She called over her shoulder to him as she headed down the hallway.

“Don’t worry. I’m capable of taking care of myself,” He said with a smirk, watching as she made her way down the hallway and ducked into what he assumed was her bedroom. 

He glanced down at Parker as the pup made himself comfortable on the mat at the back door and couldn’t help shaking his head. “She’s somethin’ else, isn’t she?” He murmured.

The pup looked up at him, his tail thumping happily against the floor and Tony sighed, glancing around the space. He was standing in her kitchen and it was small, sure. But it was also cozy. The back door was just off of the kitchen that led to the yard and now that he was looking, he could see that her home was mostly open concept.

The kitchen branched off to what looked like a small office and a larger sitting room with a television in the corner. There were a couple of reclining chairs and a sofa all facing the television, but he was more interested in the colours surrounding the space. Most of the walls were painted a warm blue, but there was one very brightly coloured wall that backed her office space. It couldn’t be called anything other than magenta and he shook his head a bit. It was a lovely colour, he just found it to be so surprising. 

He soon found himself wandering around her space, taking notice of the photographs sitting on the tables or hung up on the walls. He wasn’t really sure how to take that. He knew she couldn’t see them, but maybe she remembered most of them by touching the frames. Some were of people he assumed were her parents and her when she was much younger.

Others were of her and the couple again when she was older, probably only a few years back. Parker had his own pictures too and he thought this to be oddly endearing. She obviously loved him very much. As he moseyed about, admiring the number of things she’d had decorating her home, Percy had managed to finish showering quickly and had changed as well.

She poked her head out into the hallway after having towel dried her hair and brushed her teeth and she called out to Tony, “Almost ready!” 

Tony chuckled, glancing down the hallway towards her, but she had already ducked back inside. “Take your time,” He called back.

Percy was smiling as she finished brushing out her hair. She put a little bit of mousse in it before she slipped on a pair of cream coloured ballerina slippers and came out into the living room. “I just have to put together a bag for Parker,” She said as she pretty well rushed past him and he was momentarily startled by the ease with which she maneuvered around her home without her sight.

“No problem,” He said, his gaze following her.

He couldn’t help his jaw from practically hitting the floor when he actually got a proper look at her though. She was wearing a beautiful navy blue sundress and he found himself staring a little too intently at her gorgeous frame. She looked lovely and he had to force himself to take a calming breath so that he didn’t say something ridiculous. They were supposed to be friends- _friends, dammit_ -he reminded himself with a roll of his eyes.

Percy busied herself in the kitchen, pulling out a travelling bag which she threw a doggy bowl into and then packed away some of Parker’s dog food in a Tupperware container. She also rifled through her cupboard for some treats and then a smile broke out across her face. 

“Hey boo,” She called. “Where’s your ball? Go get it for me, baby,” She said in a cutesy voice that made Tony grin widely at the sound.

Parker was immediately barking excitedly as he dove under the kitchen table in search of his ball. She laughed when she heard the chairs scraping over the floor a bit and then the pup was bounding over towards her with his ball held firmly in his mouth.

“What a good boy,” She said, leaning down and taking the ball from him. “You’ll get this back later, I promise,” She told him before putting the ball into the bag.

The pup whined and she couldn’t help chuckling under her breath. Tony smirked as he came around the side of the couch, having been busy admiring a photograph on the wall over her bookcase, when his eyes caught sight of her laptop sitting open on her desk.

He couldn’t help sidestepping towards it before casting her a quick glance. She was back to organizing something in the bag and he brushed his fingertips across the laptop’s trackpad to bring it to life. His eyes scanned the screen for a moment after having realized it was open to a writing document and his brows furrowed curiously as he read a few lines. 

“ _Well_ ,” He murmured. “Doesn’t this look interesting,” He said lowly, a devious smirk tugging at his lips.

Percy turned her head towards him as she came round from the kitchen counter, bag slung loosely over her shoulder. “Pardon?” She asked curiously.

“Who are Sebastian and Chris?” He asked teasingly.

Percy’s eyes widened in surprise and she immediately dropped the bag she’d been carrying and rushed forwards, nearly tripping in her haste before she was fumbling to close her computer. She managed to snap her laptop shut, just barely managing to miss catching Tony’s fingers inside.

He grinned all the wider as he watched the most adorable flush spread high across her cheeks and down her gorgeous throat. He continued to watch as she struggled with what to say, her mouth opening and closing in her embarrassment as she tried to catch her suddenly laboured breath. 

“ _That’s private-_ “ She breathed, sounding self-conscious and so very, _very_ nervous.

He chuckled darkly, raising a brow at her. “Looked like things were just getting interesting,” He murmured and her cheeks flushed even darker in her embarrassment.

“ _Tony-_ “ She said pleadingly.

He chuckled softly and shook his head. “Relax, darling. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. I was just a little curious. What were you writing?” He prodded gently, coming out from behind her desk.

“I-it’s nothing-“ She stammered, pulling away from her computer and moving to look for her discarded bag. 

Tony beat her to it though and lifted it, settling it on his shoulder. “I got it,” He said, biting his lower lip as he regarded her. 

She shifted uncomfortably for a moment, reaching up and rubbing her arm nervously as she chewed at her bottom lip. He wanted to press her some more, find out what exactly she’d been working on, but she was clearly uncomfortable and he really didn’t want to tease her too much about it; so he decided to drop it for the moment.

“You ready to go?” He asked her instead.

She relaxed some, feeling relieved that he was dropping the subject. “Yeah-I mean, yes, we can go,” She said nervously.

“My car’s just out front,” He said before she was nodding and soon they were walking down the steps of her home with Parker at her side as she held his lead tight in one hand and her folded white cane in her other.

Tony opened the door to the backseat of his black Audi and smiled. “Go on in, Parker,” He said, and Percy chuckled softly as she folded his harness’ handle over his back and motioned towards Tony. 

The pup barked softly and Tony chuckled as he helped him hop into the backseat. Once safely tucked inside, he then opened the passenger side door for her. “Your turn, darling,” He murmured and Percy smiled shyly as she nodded, extending her hand towards him.

He took it gently in his and led her towards the car. He settled her hand against the side of the car and she smiled before moving to get inside. He watched as she sat down and made herself comfortable before he closed the door for her.

He soon joined her and they headed off towards Coney Island. They were quiet for a time, Percy still feeling a tad embarrassed about what Tony may or may not have read on her computer. She wondered if he had seen anything too revealing and she swallowed hard at the thought. She took a deep breath and tried to relax. 

“So-“ Tony said, casting her a quick glance. 

Percy looked to him curiously and gave him a timid smile. “Are you going to tell me what you were working on?” He couldn’t help asking her.

She blushed, looking away from him as she shrugged. “I-I was just trying something new.”

“Something new?” Tony asked, arching a brow at her.

She shifted uncomfortably for a moment as she tried to think of how to answer him. “I’ve just…I’ve always toyed with the idea of writing something else, something other than children’s books. But I’ve never been confident in my writing…never thought it was good enough,” She told him quietly.

He listened to her intently as he made his way along the highway, unable to help himself from glancing towards her. “But I couldn’t stop writing for just myself, even if I knew I’d never show anyone else.”

Tony shifted slightly in his seat. “What do you write for yourself then?”

She smiled shyly and turned her head towards him. “A bit of everything. Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy…and even Romance,” She confessed before ducking her head and shying away from him.

Tony bit his lower lip in an attempt to smother his grin. “You’re a hopeless romantic, aren't you?”

Percy laughed and couldn’t help letting out a soft sigh as her laughter slowly faded. “I suppose I am,” She whispered. “Though I suppose I also know better.”

“What do you mean?” He asked curiously as they pulled into a parking lot.

Percy shrugged and let out a soft sigh. “Fairy tales aren’t real.” 

Tony pulled into a parking space and shut the car off, turning and looking to her quietly for a beat. His brow was furrowed as he regarded her. “You think romance is a fairy tale?”

She smiled, as if to herself and undid her seatbelt. She looked to him unseeing then and her smile turned warm. “True love is a rare thing, Tony. I have no doubt in my mind that it exists and I do not deny that romance exists either…I’ve just never-“ 

But she was interrupted then by the sound of Tony’s cellphone ringing at its loudest volume. The genius startled and fumbled in his pocket for the device, momentarily distracted as he answered it. “ _Hello?_ ” He asked, not even having had a moment to read the caller ID. 

“Yeah, we’re here,” Tony said with a nervous smile, casting Percy a quick look.

Percy turned her head away then and smiled quietly to herself.“Uh yeah-I brought a friend,” Tony said as he opened the door and got out of the car.

Percy tilted her head curiously, having thought she’d been invited by everyone. She wondered if her presence would be unwelcome and then wondered why Tony hadn’t told the group that he’d invited her along in the first place.

She bit her lower lip nervously as she got out of the car and felt along for the passenger door handle to let Parker out. Tony was still busy on the phone with whomever had called him and she helped her pup hop down from the back seat. But then Tony was coming around to her side of the car and smiling at her nervously.

“I’m sorry about that, Percy,“ He told her, moving to see if she needed any help. 

“It’s alright, Tony. Everything okay?” She asked.

“Yeah, everyone’s waiting down by the pier. They’re waiting for us before they get ice-cream,” He chuckled.

She beamed at him, her nose scrunching up adorably as she nodded. “We’d better get a move on then, don’t want to keep them waiting.”

“Of course, darling,” He murmured, watching as she unfolded her white cane and took up Parker’s harness. 

They started walking together and Percy soon found herself walking a touch closer to Tony. It was fairly busy thanks to the nice weather and the sounds were starting to become a bit overwhelming. She tried not to let it make her uncomfortable and simply let Parker guide her along with Tony beside her. 

They hadn’t resumed their conversation from the car and instead talked about the nice weather they were having. Percy soon found herself walking along the boardwalk at the pier, listening to the chatter and laughter of the people around them. She was surprised when she heard Bucky’s happy exclamation.

“ _Percy!_ ” He shouted in surprise once he’d spotted her and Tony together.

She laughed, her cheeks heating adorably. “Well, hello there,” She said with a timid smile.

Parker barked happily upon seeing him and the others. Steve, Natasha, Clint and Thor stood nearby with Bucky and she smiled when they all started greeting her warmly. “Hey Percy,” Steve greeted as he strode towards her, reaching out and giving her bared arm a gentle squeeze.

She turned her face up towards the sound of his voice and smiled warmly up at him. “Hello again.”

Steve smiled, releasing his light grasp on her. “Hope you all don’t mind my tagging along.” 

But the group grinned widely at her. “Tony said he had to make a stop before joining us. We didn’t realize he’d gone to get you,” Bucky confessed with a timid smile. “It’s a nice surprise.”

She couldn’t help biting her lower lip nervously and Tony chuckled from beside her. “Thought she’d like to come out and enjoy the nice weather with us. Though when I stopped by, she was already outside gardening.”

Steve smiled at her. “Her garden’s beautiful I bet,” He proclaimed and Tony beamed at him.

“Sure is,” Tony agreed easily.

Percy couldn’t help huffing lightly and soon they were all making their way down the boardwalk towards one of the ice-cream trucks. Bucky had stepped up beside her while the others rushed forward to join the line. They were gathering some attention, however, but the group didn’t let it deter them as people flashed their cameras and cellphones at them. 

“What do you think you’d like to have?” Bucky asked her as he casually linked his flesh and blood arm with hers. 

She smiled over at him and shrugged. “I’m not sure…hmm, I used to love those popsicles-I think they were called _Bomb Pops?_ You know, the red, white and blue ones?”

Bucky grinned at her. “Oh yeah? Those just so happen to be my favourite too. I’ll get Stevie to get us a couple,” He said with a smirk as he cast the blonde a wink.

Steve’s cheeks heated and he rolled his eyes before joining the rest of the Team in line. Bucky stayed with her, just moseying along the busy boardwalk with Parker somewhat leading the way. A few minutes later, Steve, Tony and the rest of the Team joined them once again as they made their way towards a quieter end of the pier away from the crowds and attractions.

“ _Oh man-_ “ Clint suddenly muttered. “You guys got _Rockets?_ ” He said, suddenly incredibly jealous as Bucky unwrapped first Percy’s popsicle and then his. 

“Is that what they’re called? I think I used to call them _Bomb Pops_ ,” Percy chuckled as Bucky handed her one of them.

Clint just nodded with a grin. “Changed the name sometime way back when. But yeah, they’re great aren’t they?”

“They are,” She agreed before taking a lick.

Bucky was momentarily distracted by her and couldn’t help watching as she started mouthing at the red tip. He mentally shook himself and cleared his throat before looking away, only to find Tony and Steve both staring openly at her as well; their ice-cream cones completely forgotten in their grasp. He glanced away to find Clint and Natasha busy in conversation with Thor and was thankful for that at least. 

He nudged Tony and he blinked out of his daze and then Tony was elbowing Steve when Bucky cast the blonde a cheeky grin. The blonde startled, completely caught off guard. He’d apparently been a touch distracted himself.

He blinked, his cheeks heating delightfully as he glanced to first Tony and then Bucky and tried to look rather apologetic. The brunettes merely grinned behind their treats and tried to hide their own flushes before Natasha was suddenly grinning over at the blonde. 

“Hey Steve?” She called. “Think this’ll be the time you’ll finally ride the Cyclone?” The red-head teased.

Steve rolled his eyes, drawing the attention of the group. “No way,” He muttered with a shake of his head.

Bucky cackled from in front of him and then tried to school himself and give his lover a curious look. “Why don’t you want to ride it, Stevie?” Bucky asked, feigning innocence.

Steve scowled at him. “Shut ‘yer yap, Buck-you know very well why,” He muttered with a shake of his head.

Bucky grinned at him. “Oh come on, Stevie. You _sure_ I can’t get you to ride the Cyclone?” He asked with a salacious eyebrow wiggle.

Before Steve even had a chance to form a response, Clint was cracking up. “I can’t believe you refer to your dick as _The Cyclone_ , Barnes,” He said through his only slightly muffled laughter.

Bucky couldn’t help grinning even more salaciously at Steve who was looking positively mortified. “ _Clint!_ ” Steve admonished, glancing nervously towards the others-including Percy-but then Bucky was smirking at him.

“Oh come on, Stevie. Now you _have_ to ride the thing. They don’t even believe you’ve ever ridden it. You gonna stand by and let him tease you like that?” Bucky tried to coerce, smirking at him darkly.

But Steve shook his head in exasperation. “Don’t you even try with that, Barnes,” Steve mock threatened. “You and I both know how well the last time I rode that thing turned out and besides-“ The blonde murmured, lowering his voice slightly as he leaned in to whisper in his lover’s ear; giving him a _very_ heated look, “I’d much rather just ride you.”

Bucky bit his lower lip hard, thankful that he’d whispered low enough for only him to hear, for all of a second. Because he quickly he caught sight of the gorgeous flush spreading across Percy’s cheeks and down her throat as it disappeared beneath the sweetheart neckline of her dress. She’d apparently been close enough to hear.

His cheeks heated and he shoved the blonde playfully in the chest, nearly dropping his popsicle as he did so. Steve grinned and went with his push, laughing lightly, obviously not having noticed Percy’s flush. The others chuckled as they started arguing and no one seemed to notice how dark Percy’s cheeks had gone until she’d tried to shy away from them a little. 

“How about you, Percy?” Natasha asked, an all too knowing smirk on her face as she glanced to the young woman. “Do you want to ride _The Cyclone?_ ” She asked and _oh yes_ , Percy could _definitely_ hear the teasing tone in her voice.

“I-I don’t think so,” Percy quickly stuttered. 

Natasha chuckled softly and nodded. “Alright, well since you two don’t want to come for a ride, we’ll all go and meet you back here in a bit?”

The others nodded and murmured their agreement and then Steve was stepping over towards Percy. “Sure, you guys enjoy yourself and have fun puking up your ice-cream,” Steve singsonged.

The others laughed, Tony grinning at the blonde and Bucky smirking back at him. “Nah Stevie, that was just you,” He teased and Tony and the others cackled gleefully.

Steve couldn’t help rolling his eyes as he huffed out a breath, watching as his friends started off towards the rides. “See you in a bit!” Tony called and Steve waved him off.

Percy couldn’t help chuckling softly from beside him and Steve glanced down at her. “Well,” She murmured, biting her lower lip gently. 

Steve’s couldn’t help chuckling softly as well. “Nice friends we’ve got,” He said and she laughed a bit more.

“They’re just teasing you…and from what I gather, you’re pretty easy to tease,” She smirked. 

Steve grinned, rolling his eyes at her fondly. “I guess I am,” He conceded before he was casually linking his arm with hers after she finished her popsicle.

She smiled and let her lead them along, Parker now walking quietly at her side opposite Steve. Steve threw away their garbage as they passed by a trash-bin and they continued on. “Think you’d like to come down to the water? Tony gave me the bag you brought and he said you’d packed a ball for Parker. Think he’d like to play?”

Percy smiled over at him and nodded. “That sounds great, Steve. I think Parker would love to play,” She agreed and the blonde simply smiled before steering her towards the stairs of the boardwalk. 

“You might want to take off your shoes,” He told her gently and she nodded before bending to remove them.

He opened the bag and offered to put them away for her along with her white cane, which she readily gave him. Percy then kneeled to remove Parker’s harness and then she was folding that up and putting it into the bag as well.

“You’ll be alright without them?” Steve asked her gently, wondering how she was going to manage on something like sand.

“Yeah, I should be okay. Just don’t wander too far from me…I’m worried I might lose my balance,” She confessed, giving him a wry smile.

Steve nodded before he was zipping up the bag after having taken off his shoes and putting them inside and taking out Parker’s ball as well. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right there with you,” He told her before he was gently linking her arm in his once again.

She smiled, feeling relieved to have his help and then they started down the steps. The second her toes were in the sand, she couldn't stop from smiling so brightly. “The last time I was here I was thirteen,” She told him on a sigh. “Never could bring myself to come back after I lost my sight."

Steve looked to her, his brows pinching in concern as they started walking down towards the water. “Why not?” He asked her nervously.

She shrugged, letting her free hand caress the top of Parker’s head as they walked together. “Wasn’t sure if I could bring myself to be here and be okay with not being able to see the water or the sand,” She whispered, her gaze cast down towards the sandy floor.

The crease between Steve’s eyebrows only deepened at this. “Are you okay…being here, I mean?” He asked her quietly.

She nodded, turning her face towards him. “I am. It’s not so bad. The feeling is really nice, the sand I mean and I can still hear the water. It’s almost like I can see it…” She whispered, but then she turned her head away as Steve came to a stop, moving to stand in front of her as she slipped her arm from his.

“I remember it a little, but it was so long ago. It’s probably all mixed up,” She confessed with a bit of a laugh, but it sounded strained and Steve couldn’t help frowning.

“ _Percy_ ,” He murmured, wanting to wrap her up in his arms and hold her so tight.

She smiled then, turning her face up towards him. “It’s okay, Steve. Come on, why don’t you throw the ball for Parker? I’m sure he’d love to play with you.”

Steve nodded, just watching her for a moment or two longer. She was always so strong, so brave. He didn’t know how someone could go through so much and still be so strong in the face of it all. “You let me know if you want to go or if you need anything. I’m right here,” He reminded her as he set the bag down.

She chuckled softly and shook her head. “You just have fun, I think I’ll have a seat and just listen for a while.”

Steve smiled at her as he nodded and dug out Parker’s ball, watching as the young woman sat down, letting her toes dig into the sand as she made sure her dress was bunched up enough so it wasn’t showing anything as she made herself comfortable.

He averted his gaze and smiled warmly to himself before he called Parker over and showed him the ball. The pup was so excited just to see it, that his reaction made Steve laugh. It didn’t take long before he was throwing the ball down the beach and watching as Parker raced after it as if his life depended on it. 

Percy smiled as she hugged her knees to her chest and listened to the sounds of the surf, Steve’s soft laughter and Parker’s excited huffing and barking. She closed her eyes, just enjoying the feel of the Sun on her skin and the wind in her hair and she took a deep breath in an attempt to ground herself. 

She could hear the excitement of the crowds gathered by the rides and the sounds of children playing nearby and she tried to picture it all in her mind’s eye, wondering what the colours were like surrounding her. What the sky looked like, what colour the sand was and whether or not there were fluffy white clouds in the sky. She wished she could see the Sun, not just feel its warmth on her skin. She wished for a lot of things, but none ever came true.

She was startled out of her thoughts when Parker surprised her, dropping the ball on her foot. She jumped a bit and laughed lightly before searching with her hand to find it and Steve watched as she picked it up and tossed it into the air; Parker catching it right away.

“Is he fast?” She asked Steve quietly, turning her head towards where she thought he’d been standing.

Steve smiled, picking up the ball and throwing it pretty far down the beach, watching as the pup took off like a bolt after it. “He’s very fast.”

“Knew he would be,” She murmured, ducking her head as she rest her chin on her knee. 

Steve glanced down at her and gave her a gentle smile before he was casting his gaze towards the water. “Want to get your feet wet? The water’s probably still pretty chilly, but I bet it’d feel nice,” He tried.

She smiled and nodded, moving to stand and he helped her up before shouldering her bag and taking her arm in his once again. Parker had returned with the ball successfully caught and Steve led them both down towards the water a little ways away.

There weren’t many people around where they were. Steve had tried to lead them a ways off and since Percy seemed to be handling the sand okay, he thought this would be alright. They stopped when they were only a few feet away from the surf and he dropped the bag down into the sand before he was unlinking his arm with hers and taking her hand instead. 

“Ready?” He said with a soft smile and she laughed and gathered the hem of her dress in her free hand as she hiked it up enough so that it hopefully wouldn’t get wet. 

“Ready,” She agreed with a bright smile before he started to guide her towards the water. 

They both laughed and gasped at the coolness as the first wave lapped at their feet and Percy's laughter rang out, sounding almost melodic to the blonde's ears. He was momentarily distracted by the sweet sound and then Parker was making noise next to them as he started to investigate the water. 

He barked excitedly and Percy told him to hush. Steve smiled and watched as the pup got only his front feet wet and then seemed to think better of it and trotted back to where he'd dropped their bag and promptly sat down in the sand. Steve chuckled and turned his attention back to Percy. “Guess Parker's not too interested in getting wet.” 

Percy smiled and held his hand a bit tighter as she took another tentative step forwards. “Well, I don't mind.” 

Steve smirked at her before he was taking a couple of steps forward with her into the cool water. He couldn't help himself when he leaned down and with his free hand, splashed her lightly. " _Steve!_ " She laughed in surprise, turning and trying to protect herself. 

"It's just a bit of water,” He teased and she grinned before she was trying to splash him back. 

He laughed and tried to shy away from her splashing without letting go of her hand and she gasped out as she suddenly lost her footing, feeling disoriented by the shifting sand and the water and she stumbled, nearly toppling backwards.

Steve's quick reflexes managed to save her and without thinking, he scooped her up in a bridal carry. “ _Steve!_ " She shouted for a second time, nervous laughter bubbling up inside her as the blonde lifted her into the air as if she weighed nothing. 

He laughed even louder as she clutched at him, wrapping an arm around his neck as she curled in towards him. "You were about to fall!" He defended and then she too was laughing breathlessly in his grasp. 

"You didn't have to pick me up! It's only water-“ She said amongst her laughter, her other hand clutching at the front of his t-shirt and no doubt wetting it.

He couldn't help grinning at her as he shook his head and started walking up the beach away from the water. Parker was barking and running around at his feet excitedly, having sprung into action the moment Percy had yelled and they both couldn't help laughing at the scene they must have presented. 

"Didn't want you to ruin your pretty dress," Steve confessed after a beat and she smiled, turning her head towards him. 

" _My hero-_ " She said teasingly as she pretended to swoon in his arms before she shifted in his grasp and cupped the far side of his face. 

He was momentarily confused as she leaned in close and then she was kissing what would have been his cheek, he realized belatedly... _if_ he hadn't turned to look at her at the last second. She ended up kissing the edge of his mouth and she gasped out in surprise, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson as she pulled back. 

"I'm so sorry! I was trying to kiss your cheek!" She said quickly. "I-I didn't mean-" 

Steve chuckled and held her tighter in response, the soft press of her lips lingering in his mind, making his cheeks feel hot. "It's okay, Percy. Relax," He tried to reassure.

Percy chuckled, but she still sounded hesitant and uncertain and he tried to gather his wits for a moment or too longer so that he could set her down by their bag. She was still blushing beautifully as he came to stand by Parker and their bag and she murmured, “You can put me down now, you know.”

He smirked at her and whispered back teasingly, "And what if I don't want to?”

Her eyes momentarily widened, but then she was just as quickly turning her head away when she heard Tony’s laughter coming from nearby. “What a sight this is!” The genius hollered and Percy’s cheeks heated even more so as she wondered if he’d seen her accidental kiss; or _worse_ , if the rest of the group had been with him and seen it.

But then Steve was carefully setting her back down in the sand, helping her right herself with a hand in hers and another on her hip. She tried to shy away from his gentle grasp, but he held her still by her hip as she tried to fix her dress and make sure she looked somewhat presentable. 

“Thank you,” She murmured and Steve smiled at her as he finally released her hip and whispered back, “No problem.”

Percy smiled nervously as she turned her head towards the sounds of more than just one person coming towards them. She could hear Tony and the others laughing lightly and conversing with one another and she bit her lower lip when she felt someone step up beside her.

“You two looked like you were having fun,” Bucky murmured and she turned her head, her cheeks flushing even darker.

“I-it wasn’t what it looked like,” She tried to whisper to him.

But he just chuckled, leaning in closer to her ear. “Looked like you missed-“ He started, but she quickly interrupted him.

“ _I did-_ “ She said hastily. “Was just trying to kiss his cheek, I _swear_ , James.”

Bucky chuckled, setting his hand over her bared shoulder, his thumb stroking against the thin strap of her dress. “Relax, doll. Not like he’d be complaining even if you _wanted_ to miss,” He murmured, just low enough for only her to hear.

Percy was momentarily stunned by what he’d said, but then Tony was coming up to her and startling her out of her thoughts as Bucky pulled away from her and went to retrieve the ball to play with Parker. “Hey, darling. Enjoying yourself?” Tony asked her, his gaze taking in her slightly flushed skin and the way she was breathing a little too quickly.

“I am,” She told him, giving him a nervous smile.

He smirked at her and then he was going off about how their ride on _The Cyclone_ had been. She was relieved that no one said anything more about them playing in the water and their accidental kiss and seemed to be more distracted with tiring Parker out for the time being. 

They spent nearly an hour out on the beach, enjoying the nice weather and they all decided to head back to the Tower for dinner, Bruce having called to see if he could start dinner prep for the group or whether or not they wanted him to order something.

They’d decided to order Chinese food instead of making the Doctor go through trying to make enough food to feed not only a Thor, but two super-soldiers as well and thus they all found themselves back on the communal floor of the Tower about two hours later. 

Thor, Bucky, Steve, Tony, Clint, Natasha, Bruce and Percy were all sitting on various pieces of furniture in the living room with music playing and the conversation flowing freely. Tony hopped up from his cross-legged position on the sofa next to Percy, careful to avoid Parker who’d taken up residence at their feet before he headed over towards the bar.

“Anyone want a drink? I’m going to crack a bottle of red, anyone wish to partake?” Tony asked lightly as he went around behind the bar to open his wine fridge.

“I’ll have a glass,” Natasha told him and Tony nodded before glancing over towards Percy when no one else piped up.

“What about you, Percy? Care for a glass? I’ve got white wine if you prefer? Or perhaps a different poison?” He offered with a soft chuckle.

Percy laughed, setting her take-away container down on the coffee table in front of her. “Oh I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I’m not a big drinker, might be a bit of a lightweight,” She confessed and as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized her error.

“ _Oh really?_ ” Tony murmured lowly and Percy rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the shiver that wanted to roll down her spine at the tone of his voice.

Bucky and Clint snickered from the couch to her left and then Natasha was chuckling softly. “Oh come on, Percy. One glass won’t hurt,” She tried to coerce.

Percy chuckled before murmuring, “Peer pressure for the win.” 

To which the group laughed lightly and Steve leaned down as he picked up some of the empty take-away containers from the table. “You can say no, don’t feel like you’re actually being pressured to drink if you don’t want to,” He told her.

Percy smiled up at him and shook her head. “What a Steve Rogers like thing to say,” She teased, listening to his warm chuckle fill her ears thereafter. “I’m fine with one glass, I think. But thank you, sweetheart.”

Steve just smiled and nodded, casting a somewhat wary glance towards Tony who was coming towards them with three wine glasses and two bottles of red wine in hand and a wine opener held in his mouth. He couldn’t help shaking his head. “Suit yourself,” He singsonged and Percy just grinned up at him in reply.

Three bottles of wine, some of Thor’s mystical Asgardian mead and a bottle of vodka later, the group was laughing and chatting animatedly in the living room, music playing in the background as everyone became more relaxed around each other.

Percy was leaning heavily against the bar top as she listened to the people around her talking. The little group had migrated over to the bar and were sitting about. Natasha was sitting up on the edge of the bar, legs crossed beneath her as she rest her elbows on her thighs with Clint sitting on the stool before her looking up at her adoringly.

Bucky was standing beside her, likewise leaning against the bar as he sat on a stool watching Steve and Thor go shot for shot with the Asgardian liquor. Shaking his head and grinning all the while as the blonde’s cheeks grew more and more rosy as the minutes passed, while Thor continued to look as stoic as ever. 

Tony was busy entertaining Percy with one of his stories about a mission that’d been particularly exciting. Percy just smiled as she sipped at her wine, listening to the genius go on about how he’d had to save Steve’s ‘ _sorry heavy ass_ ’ from a stupid decision, to which, she’d cast the blonde a glance, rather annoyed that he’d made one of those in the first place.

He just didn’t seem like the type, or so she’d thought. “I know what you’re thinking-“ Tony said, interrupting her thoughts. “He’s supposed to be America’s _Golden Boy_ -he wouldn’t make stupid decisions,” Tony said with a grin.

Percy chuckled and nodded, “Yeah I was sort of thinking that.”

Tony laughed and shook his head. “He’s most certainly not a golden boy or a _boy scout_ , since we’re on the topic.”

Percy laughed, putting her hands up in a placating gesture. “I’ll have to take your word for it. He’s always only ever been a gentleman to me.”

Tony’s grin only widened. “Oh, he’s a gentleman alright.”

Bucky’s gaze shifted towards Tony then and he smirked at his lover. “You know he is, Tin-Can,” Bucky murmured, his lips quirking slightly. “Just not 24/7.”

Percy chuckled softly at that. “Well, I’m certainly not a lady 24/7 either,” She said with a smirk of her own before she downed the rest of her glass of wine.

Tony and Bucky both chuckled and she couldn’t help smiling warmly at the pair as she pulled away from the bar top, just resting her hands against the edge. “It must be getting late,” She sighed, turning her head towards where she felt Parker nuzzling her leg.

Bucky cleared his throat. “It’s just past ten. Did you want to head home?” He asked gently. “I think Parker looks pretty beat.”

Percy nodded as she bent to scratch behind the pup’s ears. “Yeah, tomorrow is Monday after all-not that I have a necessity to be up early or anything,” She laughed.

Bucky laughed lightly, “Yeah, neither do we.”

Percy turned her gaze towards him and smiled at him softly and then Tony cleared his throat a bit as he glanced over to where Steve appeared to be seconds away from passing out where he sat. Thor still as happy and awake as ever as he teased the blonde.

“Think we should put Spangles to bed,” Tony sighed fondly.

Bucky smiled over at the blonde, watching as he fought off sleep and nodded. “Yeah, looks like he’s about to pass out.”

Percy smiled, her nose scrunching up a bit. “I should let you guys get some rest. I’ll head home-“ She started.

“ _Hang on a second-_ “ Tony said quickly. “How are you planning on getting home?”

Percy shrugged. “I can just walk-“

Bucky guffawed. “ _I’ll_ walk you home.”

Percy smiled and ducked her head a bit. “Are you gonna’ walk beside me this time?” She asked teasingly.

Bucky’s lips quirked, his cheeks heating. “Hold your hand and everythin’ if you’ll let me,” He teased back.

Percy laughed, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol and maybe something more as she smiled warmly up at him. “I’ll do one better,” She said as she reached out to him.

The back of her hand brushed against his chest and he watched as she let her hand skate up towards his shoulder before she was drawing him closer by his bicep, slipping her arm through his as she pressed up against his bionic limb and held on to him.

His cheeks immediately heated as she pressed herself up against his arm and smirked up at him. “Walk a lady home, James?” She said coyly, batting her eyelashes at him and Bucky was frozen in place for a moment too long.

Tony grinned across at them and tried to smother it by taking another sip of his wine as he watched the pair. But Bucky was far too busy staring down at the woman who was essentially _clinging_ to him-to his _bionic arm_. He swallowed hard and couldn’t help letting his gaze flit down a little lower to where her breasts pushed against the neckline of her dress and were pressing insistently against his arm. 

He really wished he could feel their warmth, their softness pressing-

His eyes widened and he quickly tore his gaze from her, his cheeks now an embarrassing shade of pink as he forced himself to look into her eyes instead. He wasn’t sure if that was much better. She was still looking at him unseeing as she held onto him and he swallowed past the lump in his throat. _She’s your_ ** _friend._** He thought, giving his head a mental shake.

“Course I’ll walk you home, doll,” He murmured, casting Tony a quick glance.

Tony’s grin was gone and he was now looking at the two of them with a contemplative smile on his face, arms crossed in front of his chest as he observed the pair. “I’ll be back in a bit. Make sure he actually makes it to a bed this time,” Bucky said with a faint chuckle, casting Steve a look.

Tony nodded, glancing towards Steve who had now stood and was coming over to them with Thor tagging along beside him. “Are ‘ya leavin'?” Steve asked curiously, his Brooklyn drawl colouring his voice as he came over to where Percy was slowly disentangling herself from Bucky as she went to gather up Parker’s harness.

She chuckled, the sound ghosting over them. “You getting all Brooklyn is cute, Steve. But yes, it’s getting late so I should probably head home. James said he’d walk me home tonight, so don’t worry,” She reassured.

Steve chuckled and nodded, giving the pair a warm smile. “He’ll keep you safe, Percy. I’ll see you on Wednesday, okay?” He told her, moving to give her a hug. 

She was startled when his strong arms suddenly wrapped around her, but she smiled, melting into his warm embrace as she turned her head, her cheek pressing against his chest. She could hear his steady heartbeat and she smiled, blushing lightly as she started to pull away. If she didn’t, she may just insist that she stay in his arms forever. She swallowed hard at the thought and pulled herself free of him. 

Clint and Natasha were suddenly yawning from behind her and she turned to face them. “We’ll see you soon, Percy. Hope you had fun today,” Natasha said, hopping down from the bar and taking Clint’s hand in hers. 

“I had a wonderful time,” Percy confessed. “It was nice to spend time with you all again and I hope to hear your voices again soon,” She told them earnestly. 

Natasha smiled and rest her hand against the young woman’s shoulder, squeezing her lightly. “I’m certain you will,” She murmured in response.

Percy smiled and then the woman was stepping away from her while Clint said good night to her as well as they moved into the living room. And then Bruce was clearing his throat from somewhere nearby. The Doctor had sat the drinking out, preferring to sit and relax on one of the sofa’s and read in the company of his friends.

“See you again soon, Percy. It was nice to have you here,” Bruce told her with a gentle smile. 

She turned towards the sound of his voice and gave him a warm smile in return. “It was nice to spend time with you as well Dr. Banner and I definitely look forward doing it again.”

Bruce murmured his good night to her as well, before he stood from his spot to help tidy up some of the take away containers that had accumulated. Thor came up to her then and smiled warmly down at her. “My dear, Percy. I had such a wonderful time with you. You are still so sweet and charming and just so lovely to look at-I do love your dress, by the way,” The demigod confessed with a dashing smile.

Percy couldn’t help grinning as her cheeks flushed even darker. “Thank you, Thor. You’re really too kind-“ She started, only to be interrupted by Bucky.

“You mean _overbearing_ ,” The brunette said with a smirk.

To which, Percy and the others laughed lightly, but then Thor was laughing heartily. “I merely speak the truth! I suppose I can be a little much at times, at least-that is what my dear Jane tells me,” He confessed.

Percy looked to him curiously. “Your dear Jane?” 

Thor nodded, a fond smile tugging at his lips. “My Jane, Dr. Foster,” He murmured and Percy nodded.

“I’d like to meet her sometime. If she’s managed to woo a demigod, I can only imagine what kind of a woman she must be,” Percy said in all honesty.

Thor barked out a laugh and nodded. “Indeed, indeed,” He said through his laughter and the others chuckled in response.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it. I should really get Parker home to bed and I know I could certainly use a good night's sleep. I’ve had a bit too much excitement this weekend,” She sighed and the others nodded.

“I’ll go get your bag,” Bucky said before he was heading off to the kitchen to retrieve it.

Percy nodded as the others busied themselves with tidying up a bit, Steve still looking as if he were about to pass out where he stood, but still somehow managing to clear away some of the mess they’d all made. Percy was left to tend to Parker, making sure his vest was on properly. She knelt down on the floor as she readjusted his harness and the pup yawned before pressing his head against her chest, clearly wanting to cuddle.

Percy chuckled lightly as she hugged her pup, but he apparently wanted more attention and so he pushed against her a little firmer. She hadn’t been prepared for his push, however, and she found herself falling back a bit and landing on her bum. She laughed as her back pressed against one of the chair legs of the high chairs around the bar and she shook her head as she tried to right herself.

She shifted, moving to press her palm to the floor to push herself up and was surprised when her fingertips brushed against something unusual. She frowned and let her hand wander over the object, wondering what it was exactly. She got back up onto her knees and let both of her hands wander over the stone object and was surprised when she found a sort of handle.

She shifted, gripping it in both hands before she was standing up and hauling the object up with her. From the feel of it, she expected it to be heavy, but was very surprised when it weighed almost nothing. She shook her head in disbelief and then she was turning, wielding the object in one hand and she couldn’t help laughing lightly.

“What _is_ _this thing?_ ” She couldn’t help asking though her laughter.

And just like that, she felt the air around her change. She could feel all eyes turn on her then and she tilted her head curiously as she listened for one of them to enlighten her. When no one spoke for a long moment, she hefted the object, swinging it from side to side gently in her right hand. 

“Well?” She asked, raising a curious brow as she put her free hand on her hip, jutting it out slightly as she waited for a response. 

Steve cleared his throat, looking far more alert than he’d been just minutes before. “That’s-“ He started, but seemed to falter with how to continue.

Everyone was staring at her and although she could feel their eyes on her, she couldn’t tell what their gazes were exactly. The room was eerily silent and it was as if all the air had been vacuumed out of it. She frowned, as if just coming to a small realization.

“This isn’t some crazy weapon that I’m just casually holding and is actually capable of destroying the world or something as equally as ridiculous, is it?” She asked curiously, nervous laughter escaping her.

She trailed off when she heard footsteps coming towards her and she stilled, no longer swinging the object in her grasp. She felt warm breath fan across her cheek as the person came to stand just slightly beside her, leaning in close.

“Thank you for holding Mjölnir for me, Persephone. I wondered where I’d left it,” Thor murmured before he was gently clasping his warm hand over top of hers and carefully pulling it from her grasp.

Percy tilted her head curiously, wondering what Mjölnir was. Evidently it was the thing she’d held but she had no clue what it was exactly. The rest of the group was still speechless over the whole thing and she clearly picked up on some kind of weight to what she’d just done. She swallowed hard as she shifted as the demigod moved away from her. 

“Did I just do something I wasn’t supposed to?” She asked timidly, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable and clearly well out of her depth.

But then Thor was grasping her shoulder lightly and squeezing her in reassurance. “No, Percy. You did something that not many are capable of. To wield Mjölnir, you must possess something special and I think the others are just a bit shocked to have seen you do it so easily.”

Percy’s brows furrowed in confusion. “To wield-“ She whispered, her mind searching for information, for anything that might help her understand what had just happened.

And then it hit her. 

“ _Mjölnir-_ “ She breathed, her eyes widening. “Y-your _hammer!?_ ” She squeaked, both of her hands flying up to cover her mouth quickly. 

Thor smiled at her and withdrew his hand from her shoulder. “Yes,“ He said, his gaze boring into her, searching her eyes and wishing for just a moment that she could see what he saw there.

He shook his head and gave her a timid smile. “Good night, Percy. I look forward to seeing you again soon,” The demigod murmured as he strode from the room, swaying Mjölnir back and forth as he went.

Bucky and Tony both managed to clear their throats at the same time and Percy’s unseeing gaze shifted towards them. “ _Well,_ ” She said, swallowing thickly. “I think I need to go home now.” 

Bucky nodded and was immediately striding towards her and taking her hand in his. He smiled at her in reassurance, even though he knew she couldn’t see it and then she was slipping her arm through his again and pressing up against his metal arm. He patted her hand with his flesh and blood one and chuckled under his breath.

“Talk about a heavy conversation,” He muttered and Percy couldn’t help it when she burst into a fit of giggles beside him.

Bucky grinned wryly at her and both Tony and Steve grinned at the pair as well. Natasha, Clint and Bruce cleared their throats before they said their final good nights and disappeared off to their floors. Steve shook his head in disbelief as he came towards them, Tony tagging along at his side.

“Okay-“ Percy breathed. “ _Okay_ ,” She said again as her laughter subsided and she tried to be a bit more serious.

“Get her home safe,” Steve murmured, leaning in and giving Percy a gentle kiss on her cheek. 

Bucky simply nodded and placed his hand over hers as she clasped his metal bicep and then Tony was leaning in and planting his own soft kiss against her other cheek. Percy couldn’t help smiling shyly as she ducked her head away from them. 

“Night boys. It was lovely spending time with you today,” She told them with a tentative smile gracing her lips as Steve bent to raise Parker’s lead to hand it to her.

Her fingers wrapped around the lead carefully and the blonde smiled as he watched Bucky lead them towards the elevators. “Good night, Percy,” Tony called after her, listening as the young woman murmured her good night as well. 

Bucky guided her down and out onto the street and soon they were walking side by side along the sidewalk towards her home. They hadn’t spoken since they’d left the company of their friends, keeping to themselves, too caught up in their own thoughts as they walked together.

She was clearly wondering about Thor’s hammer and how she’d managed to wield it. She’d heard stories, but didn’t understand much about it. They were just stories after all and she wondered if there was any truth to them. But Bucky was more distracted with the way the woman’s body felt pressing against his metal arm and wondering what it would be like to have her pressing against his flesh and blood one instead.

Not very friendly thoughts, he realized. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and inhaled deeply after a moment as he tried to remind himself that Percy was his friend. _She’s supposed to be your friend, Buck._ He thought, but then was rudely interrupted when a car drove by them on the street, faster than strictly necessary.

He frowned, glancing out into the street and he realized that he should be the one walking close to traffic, not Percy. His frown deepened and then he shifted, unhooking his arm from hers. “Hang on, doll,” He murmured, shifting behind her only to move to her left to put her farther away from traffic.

She chuckled softly when she seemed to realize what he was doing and he couldn’t help smiling as he shrugged. “Not being a right gentleman if I put you in harm’s way,” He told her, but then his smile was promptly being wiped from his face as she linked arms with him once again, pressing herself against his bicep.

He inhaled slowly and forced his gaze away from her and to instead focus on their path. But the streets were pretty quiet and they really only just had to walk a couple more blocks and they’d be at her home. So he let his gaze wander back towards the woman as she held onto him, his attention never having strayed from her really to begin with.

He could feel the warmth of her body, the heat radiating from her, despite the coolness of the evening. She was warm as she pressed to him and he couldn’t help his gaze from wandering down further, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed evenly at his side.

She had her eyes closed as she walked with him and she let out a soft sigh as she turned her head up towards the night sky. Bucky’s gaze softened as he observed her. She looked so at peace, so relaxed and comfortable and he wondered what she might be thinking. He didn’t have to wonder for very long.

“Can you see any stars tonight?” She whispered.

Bucky smiled and looked up for a brief moment before he was shaking his head. “No, not in the city, unfortunately. It’s too bright here with all the lights.”

She nodded and let out a soft sigh. “That’s too bad, it’d be nice if you could see them.”

He frowned a touch, “It’d be nice if you could see them too.”

Percy’s steps faltered a bit and Bucky’s frown deepened as he steadied her. “It would be,” She murmured in agreement.

He couldn’t help holding her hand tighter over his arm and she squeezed his bicep and then promptly squawked. “ _Holy hell_ -James, you’re ripped, aren’t you?” She said in clear wonder.

Bucky smirked, rolling his eyes as he huffed out a laugh, a slight blush colouring his features. “Yeah, yeah,” He muttered. “’S the only reason you like me, ain’t it? All the muscles.”

Percy laughed wonderfully and shook her head. “ _All_ the muscles, eh?” She said with a raised eyebrow. “How many you got?” She said teasingly.

Bucky grinned and shook his head. “You were right.”

“About what?” She asked curiously as they came towards the walkway up to her home.

Bucky smirked as they walked towards the steps and let out a dramatic sigh. “You definitely ain’t no lady.”

Percy laughed beautifully, shaking her head as she pushed at him playfully before they walked up the stairs together. When they reached the landing just outside her door, Percy let go of him and took a step away as she unlocked the door and let Parker go on inside. 

She turned around a moment later, wanting to thank Bucky for walking her home and the soldier stepped a little closer to her. “You ain’t no lady, Percy,” He murmured and Percy’s lips quirked as she regarded him. 

She opened her mouth to give him a snarky retort, but he stopped her as he took her hand in his and raised it to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “You’re a goddess, in every sense of the word,” He breathed against her knuckles.

Percy stared unseeing at him, eyes wide and lips parted in surprise as she listened to him, feeling the warmth of his breath against her skin. She shook her head, swallowing hard. “You’re being ridiculous, James. I’m not a-“ She started, trying to brush it off and laugh, but it fell flat when Bucky tugged her hand towards him, forcing her to take a step closer to him.

He leaned in close to her ear, his hot breath ghosting across her cheek and she found herself turning slightly towards him, making his lips brush against her cheek. “You are,” He murmured. “You’re so beautiful and kind and so _goddamn strong_ and _positive_ all the time, Percy. You may not be the goddess Persephone was said to be. But you are your own goddess,” He said sincerely.

Percy swallowed past the lump in her throat as he slowly drew back, still holding her hand in his. He watched her quietly, his gaze flickering down her form and then back up to her eyes and then just a touch lower to focus on her lips.

She could feel his gaze upon her and her cheeks heated, the flush spreading down her throat and across her collarbones. And all Bucky could do was stare some more, watching as her lips parted as she tilted her head up slightly to where she supposed his face might be.

He smiled at her, his gaze shifting back to the way her eyes practically sparkled and even in the darkness, he could make out the amber flecks in her deep brown eyes. He couldn’t help licking his lips as he let his gaze wander back to her lips, just listening to her breathe as she continued to stare up at him.

_Your lips look so soft…your skin so much softer._ He thought to himself as his flesh and blood hand’s thumb stroked against the back of her knuckles. I _wish I knew what it was like to kiss you, to taste your lips and-_ He blinked, stopping his train of thought as he slowly lowered her hand.

Percy swallowed hard as he let go of her and she swore the spot he’d been touching was on fire. “Thank you for walking me home, James. I…I really did have a lovey day with you and the Team,” She whispered.

Bucky nodded, feeling rather stunned by the thoughts he’d been having as he watched her. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, Percy. We were all pleased you joined us,” He whispered, his gaze still boring into her.

She smiled tentatively and nodded before drawing away, but then she turned, thinking better of it as she reached out to him. She raised her hand up towards him with her palm open and Bucky smiled, recognizing what she was asking for and he stepped in closer, taking her hand and pressing her open palm to his cheek. She relaxed instantly and rubbed her thumb against the apple of his cheek before she was leaning up to press a kiss to the spot thereafter.

Bucky smiled and she felt it against her lips before she drew away, her hand slipping from his cheek as she turned to head into her home. “You missed,” Bucky suddenly murmured under his breath.

But Percy heard him as she stepped into the foyer, nearly stumbling. She swallowed hard and kept her back to him as she started to tremble. “I-I didn’t,” She whispered and she felt Bucky shift closer to the doorway, but didn’t step inside.

“You sure about that?” He whispered softly in her ear, watching as a shiver wracked through her frame.

“Good night, James,” She said and he smiled.

Why did he smile? Because he could hear the smile in her own voice as she replied. It must have been a doozy too and he tried to get a look as she shut the door on him, only managing to catch a glimpse of the beautiful smile on her face before she closed the door. 

“Night Percy,” He chuckled, hoping he’d not overstepped.

He was sure she thought he was just teasing her and he was…sort of. Because he realized something. The way he’d thought about her back at the Tower, on their walk home and even just now… It wasn’t how you’re supposed to feel about your friends…if they were _just friends_. 

Thinking about her in more than a friendly way…in a sexual way…that wasn’t very friendly. Well-in a different kind of friendly way, he supposed. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he turned and headed down the steps, casting one more long look over his shoulder at her little home. He smiled in confusion as he tried to understand what the hell had just happened and where the hell all that confidence he’d gathered had come from too.


	5. Five

The days came and went, Wednesday morning turning out to be a pivotal point for Percy’s writing career. She and Steve had met with her publicist, Sarah who had been absolutely _floored_ by the idea of Steve Rogers illustrating a children’s book. She’d been fangirling so hard at the meeting, that Percy had barely been able to say much at all.

Not that she minded too much. Steve was being very pleasant and understanding and was trying to make Sarah understand that he didn’t want his name anywhere on the book and of course Percy had jumped on that, insisting that his name be printed as well. But before she could go into much detail about why, Sarah was going on about how the proceeds of the book would far surpass anything else Percy had ever written or published and Steve really didn’t know how to feel about that.

“I don’t want my involvement in the artwork to detract from the story though. Percy’s worked very hard on her books and I would hate to take that away from her just because I drew a couple of pictures,” He said earnestly, looking towards his friend.

Percy frowned, twisting her hands uncomfortably in her lap. “I’ll be honest, Steve. I do want your name on my book, but not because of the proceeds, not because of what type of money it might raise. I want your name on my book because you really did help me with it. The story was unfinished when I met you and you’ve helped me unknowingly fill in the rest and I know the artwork is what is going to really bring it all together…” She confessed.

“So I would really like your name on my book, Steve. You deserve the credit just as much as I do. You can put your full name or just initials, whatever _you’re_ comfortable with. We won’t do anything you’re not okay with,” She reassured.

Steve smiled at her gently, thinking it over. He knew the kind of publicity this was going to open up for her career and although that was both good and potentially bad, he still wanted to help her along. He knew the proceeds would all go to the charities she sponsored and played a part in, so he knew the money would be well looked after and put to good use.

He just hoped the people who bought and read her book, also understood that she was a great writer and took her story for what it was. A moral tale for children and even adults if you really thought about it. He couldn’t help reaching out to take one of her hands from it’s twisting in her lap and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“Okay, Percy. I’ll put my name on your book, but I want the smallest font possible and only initials. Besides, my artwork already has my initials tucked in as a signature. You deserve to be the centre of attention in your own book and I won’t take that away from you, alright?” He insisted.

Percy smiled hesitantly as she nodded. “Okay, Steve. Just initials and maybe a little dedication-“ She tried to slip in, only to be interrupted by the blonde’s slightly muffled laughter as he pressed his face against his shoulder in an attempt to stifle it.

Percy grinned and then Sarah was interrupting them with light laughter of her own. “Oh dear, you two are just precious together,” She said, shaking her head in disbelief.

Percy’s eyes widened and she quickly turned towards her. “Oh-we-we’re not together…like that,” She quickly insisted.

Sarah smiled, her gaze flickering back and forth between the two. But Steve was still staring at Percy,gaze soft and a timid smile on his face as he continued to hold the young woman’s hand, his thumb now stroking over her knuckles absently.

“Ah,” Sarah murmured, an all too knowing smile tugging at her lips as she watched Steve. “My mistake.”

And so it was left at that. Steve’s initials would be used as the illustrator and Percy had promised her publicist that she’d write a little dedication, unbeknownst to Steve of course. Sarah had insisted that she’d have a mock-up of the book put together in no more than 48 hours so that they could take a look at it before it went to production come hopefully Monday morning and so they’d left Sarah's office and gone out for lunch thereafter. 

That’s how Percy found herself rather distracted by thoughts of the blonde for the rest of the afternoon, naturally. Anytime Steve Rogers was concerned, she found him to be rather distracting. She wondered why he didn’t jump to say that they weren’t a couple, but she figured she’d done it for him, sort of. She knew he was happy in his relationships with both Bucky and Tony, but she’d been a bit surprised when he hadn’t corrected Sarah himself.

She’d been struggling for weeks-well before she’d known he was Steve Rogers-with thinking of him as more than just a friend. She didn’t intend to think of him that way. It just sort of happened. But she liked him, wanted to be his friend more than anything. She valued their friendship and made sure he knew it. She’d known for a long time that he was involved with two of his very much male friends and it didn’t bother her in the least.

Sexual orientation was never something she’d bat an eyelash at. She herself liked both men and women and had never hid that from her close friends. It just wasn’t a huge deal for her. Granted, she knew that in the time Steve had come from, it wasn’t something that could have ever really been a possibility for he and Bucky, for instance. But the blonde rarely talked about having to hide their relationship early on, though he had opened up to her on occasion about being afraid of people finding out in the past, and even now, there were a lot of rumours in the media about the pair.

They’d never made a public statement, wanting to keep their lives private, she now assumed. And she got it, really she did. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was like to have the press breathing down their necks every step of the way. And then you throw a second partner in their relationship and yeah, polyamory isn’t as widely accepted or even as understood as being gay or bisexual or asexual and the like.

So she wholeheartedly understood their need for discretion and secrecy, to an extent. She didn’t think it was right that even after all this time, Steve and Bucky were being forced to keep their relationship a secret because they didn’t want to deal with the media backlash or something. And how Tony would fit into all of it, she could only imagine. He’d been once labelled a playboy, reckless and dangerous to boot.

She scoffed at the thought. She’d never consider him dangerous by any means. _Reckless?_ Yeah, she could maybe see that a bit and a playboy? Her lips quirked at the thought. He was charming and confident and she was sure he could get just about any woman or man he ever wanted if he set his mind to it. But then again, she thought the same of Steve and Bucky. 

She’d heard of their good looks and charm. Heard it herself on more than one occasion. And that was the _thing_. They were always being so charming and kind towards her and it toyed with her heart. She wanted to be their friend and yet, how could she be their friend if she kept thinking about them in a romantic sense? A sigh escaped her at the thought and Steve raised a curious eyebrow at her from across the table.

“Everything okay, Percy?” He asked gently.

She smiled, momentarily forgetting where she was as she nodded quickly. “Sorry, was just a bit distracted. My mind’s been all over the place this morning,” She confessed with a lighthearted chuckle.

Steve nodded, watching as she toyed with her salad. “As long as you’re alright,” He murmured in response.

Percy smiled across at him genuinely. “I’m alright, Steve,” She reassured and then added in thought; _So long as I have you as my friend._

 

Friday evening came around and Percy found herself in the lobby of Stark Tower, book bag held tightly against her chest as Parker led her towards the private elevators that would take her up to the Team’s floors. She’d been asked or rather- _stopped_ -twice as she made her way through the lobby when both security and a receptionist asked her if she needed any guidance or assistance to wherever she was heading.

But she’d politely declined and said that she was here to see Steve Rogers and that she knew the way to the elevator…well, Parker did. They’d both looked at her skeptically and then she’d flashed a little card that Steve had given her so that she’d have access to their private elevator and both pairs of eyes had widened in surprise.

They’d let her go on her way after that, watching as her pup led her towards the area that housed the private elevators and then she’d disappeared inside. She relaxed as she stepped inside and then a voice surprised her. “Hello there, Miss Matthews. Captain Rogers is expecting you, so please allow me to assist you and take you to his floor,” Jarvis informed her.

She nodded, “Thank you, Jarvis. It’s nice to hear your voice again.”

“It is always a pleasure, Miss Matthews,” Jarvis replied and then the elevator was ascending.

Not a minute later she was stepping out of the elevator and was promptly greeted by a chorus of yells and cheers of congratulations. She laughed, startled and clearly surprised at the group’s greeting and then Parker was barking excitedly at all the noise. She was promptly being swept up into a hug and she beamed up at the man who’d hugged her, knowing it to be Steve.

“ _Steve!_ ” She shouted in between her bout of laughter. “I told you not to make a big deal about t-“

But he was quickly interrupting her with warm laughter of his own as he shook his head, releasing her from his excited hug. “I couldn’t resist getting everyone together. So come on, I want to see the finished product.”

She laughed and nodded, trying to right herself before she was pressing her book bag into his hands. He held it and then took her free hand and guided her over to the living room where everyone was waiting. They all greeted her excitedly and then they were eagerly looking over the blonde’s shoulder as he pulled her latest book from the bag she’d brought along.

There was a chorus of _aw’s_ and _ooh’s_ and Percy couldn’t help laughing as she listened to the group in their excitement. “ _Oh Percy-_ “ Bucky said. “This is great, it’s beautiful, _really_ ,” He told her earnestly.

She smiled shyly as she made herself comfortable on the sofa across from them. “I just wrote the story. It’s Steve’s drawings that make it real,” She insisted.

Steve smiled over at her, book still held carefully in his hands as he regarded her. “I couldn’t have done the characters any justice if I didn’t have a good story to work from.”

Percy smiled, shrugging and clearly trying to be modest about it all. The group merely chuckled before Steve started leafing through the book carefully. But then Tony was laughing, his eyes widening in surprise.

“You dedicated your book to us?” Tony asked in disbelief and Percy smiled, stupidly fond at them.

“Maybe,” She whispered, biting her lower lip hard as she waited for Steve to make a comment.

“ _Percy,_ ” Steve said in exasperation and she smiled, unable to hide it any longer.

“I couldn’t resist,” She whispered.

Steve sighed over-dramatically, looking back down at the page. In elegant script across the page read; _To all of the friends I’ve made in the most unlikely of places. From a little coffee shop to 93 stories up, you know I will always truly see you for who you are; the heroes of my life, the best friends anyone could ever hope for. Thank you. - Percy_

“That’s lovely…” Bucky whispered from over the blonde’s shoulder, still staring down at the page.

The group was quickly murmuring their agreement and thanking her for being so sweet and kind, but Steve was oddly quiet. Bucky nudged him and the blonde blinked as if in a daze as he looked towards Percy who was smiling nervously and shrinking from the praise, clearly feeling uncomfortable from all the attention.

He couldn’t help smiling at her before he was handing the book over to Natasha who had sat down beside him and she carefully took it as they started flipping through the pages and admiring the story and artwork therein. Steve stood and walked around the coffee table, moving to sit down next to the young woman and Percy turned towards him as the couch dipped.

“Does it look okay? _Really?_ They want to start production on Monday, but they’re waiting for my call for the go-ahead. I told them I wanted to show you first,” She started to babble, but then Steve was reaching out to cup her face in both of his large calloused hands and she stopped, smiling timidly at him as his thumbs caressed her cheeks.

“You know you’re my hero, right?” He whispered tenderly to her, just watching as her eyes shifted back and forth as if she were trying to focus on him.

Her cheeks heated beneath his hands and his smile only grew as he watched her struggle to think of what to say. She took a steadying breath before saying, “I’m just me, Steve. Not a hero, not a super-soldier. I don’t have a suit of armour and I’m not a spy or a god or goddess. I’m just me, Steve; Percy Matthews.”

“I see you for who you are, Percy. _We_ do,” He continued. “You are my hero, Percy. So brave and strong and using her life for something so much bigger than herself,” He whispered.

She reached up then, clasping her hands over top of his as she removed them gently from her face. “Just me,” She said again, holding his hands in hers and squeezing them lightly before setting them back against his own thighs.

He released her hands then and watched as she reached up to push some of her hair back behind her ear as she gave him a one shouldered shrug. “And that’s why you’re my hero,” He whispered. “Because you’re you. There’s no _just_ about you,” He told her quietly.

She smiled, turning her head away from him as she listened to Bucky, Tony, Natasha, Clint and Bruce go on about how lovely the artwork was and the way the story resonated with each of them as they paged through her book. She tilted her head when something dawned on her.

“Is Thor not here tonight?” She asked curiously, trying to distract him, clearly.

Steve shook his head, turning his attention towards their friends. “No, I’m afraid not. He said he had something important to do back on Asgard and couldn’t delay. He wasn’t sure when he’d be back, but he said for us not to worry and he seemed happy enough, so hopefully all is well.”

She nodded, wondering what the demigod could have had to do, but then realized it could be any number of endless possibilities and she smiled. “I’m sure he’s alright,” She murmured in response.

Steve looked towards his friends as they continued to read through her book. “I think you’d better call your publicist and give her the go-ahead.”

Percy nodded, pulling her phone from her pocket and then dialled Sarah's number. While she was on the phone with her, Steve went into the kitchen with Tony to order some dinner. They decided to just order pizza from one of their favourite places in the city and while they were opening up some wine, Tony cleared his throat, looking over to Steve as inconspicuously as possible.

“Hey Steve?” He asked quietly.

“Hmm?” Steve murmured, working to uncork a bottle of red.

“I uh…think I may have gone overboard on something,” He said, his lips quirking slightly as he glanced over at the blonde.

Steve’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline and he quickly turned to look at his lover, clearly surprised. “Okay, where’s the real Tony Stark and what have you done with him? He’d never admit to such a thing,” He teased with a grin.

Tony rolled his eyes, huffing out an only slightly annoyed breath. “Yeah well…I uh-“ He started, unable to continue.

Steve regarded him curiously, but his curiosity seemed to be quickly morphing into apprehension. “What’s going on, Tony? What did you do?” 

“Nothing crazy…well, not my by standards,” Tony tried to assure and Steve’s lips quirked as he tried to fix the genius with one of his famous _Captain America disapproves-of-your-shit_ glares. 

“Spit it out, Tony,” Steve said with only slight impatience.

Tony nodded, clearing his throat a bit. “I uh…I talked to her publicist, Sarah yesterday about throwing a special charity event for children’s book writer’s and wanted to have Percy attend and be sort of the guest of honour…”

Steve relaxed some, glancing towards the young woman who was now sitting next to Bucky on the sofa as he went on about how much he liked the story to her. “But after seeing how modest and shy she is about her book, about her writing in general…I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” He said nervously.

Steve smiled, turning to look at his lover. “I think it’s a great idea, Tony. She deserves the recognition and I think it’d be a good opportunity to get her name out there a bit more.”

Tony visibly relaxed. “Oh good, then you’re on my side and won’t be mad.”

Steve’s brows raised skeptically. “Why, what did you do?”

Tony bit his lower lip gently. “I sort of set a date, had Pepper organize the event and it looks like the guest list is close to 400 people and that’s _after_ Pep and I ripped apart the invite list,” He confessed. “And it’s sort of also at the _Roosevelt Hotel?_ ”

Steve’s breath left him and he shook his head. “ _Tony_ ,” He said in exasperation.

Tony grimaced. “It’s going to be very tasteful, lovely and everything, I _promise_. It’s 250$ a head and it’s all going to the charities that Percy sponsors, I _swear_. Pep is all over this and she’s stupidly excited to be helping plan it. The date’s already been set for a week tomorrow.”

Steve groaned and rubbed his eyes tiredly. “She’s going to flip out, Tony.”

Tony frowned, glancing over at their little group in the living room. “She won’t…I hope she won’t once I remind her that it’s all for charity. All she has to do is show up, smile and let us lavish her with attention and praise.”

Steve sighed, glancing over at the young woman, watching as she shied away from Bucky as he did just that. “Easier said than done, Shellhead. She’s the most modest woman I’ve ever met,” He told him, gently patting his shoulder. “Good luck.”

Tony guffawed, looking to his lover in disbelief. “You’re not even going to help me tell her?” He asked incredulously.

Steve grinned over his shoulder at the brunette as he picked up a few glasses and the bottle of wine he’d just opened. “Nah, I think you’ll be alright on your own with that,” He said, trying to stifle his smirk as Tony’s jaw dropped open in surprise.

About twenty minutes later, Tony had managed to draw Percy into conversation in the kitchen while the rest of the group busied themselves in the living room with sorting out the pizza boxes, salad and garlic bread.

“You _what!?!_ ” Percy suddenly shouted, disbelief and absolute shock warring in her tone.

Tony cringed and glanced over her shoulder to see the rest of the Team watching them with curious looks on their faces, only Steve’s knowing smirk managing to make his insides twist up. _Asshole_. Tony thought, giving his head a shake as he turned his attention back to the woman in front of him.

“It’s all for charity, Percy- _darling-_ “ He tried weakly.

“Don’t you _darling_ me- _Stark-_ “ She quipped back and he winced. “I don’t know the first thing about going to a charity gala or-or-a _ball_ -“ She said incredulously. “And you want to throw one in-in-“ She started, her cheeks flushing adorably in her frustration.

“In your honour,” Tony tried to helpfully finish for her and she glowered at him.

He glanced over her shoulder once again to see if anyone was going to help him out with this and noted the very amused smiles and raised eyebrows on his friends faces. _Dammit_. He thought, shaking his head a little.

“In my honour,” She repeated flatly, shaking her head at him. “ _Tony_ , I get that you are trying to do something nice for me, for the charities I support, I _really do_. But I’m not big into making a fuss over myself, especially my writing,” She told him earnestly.

“But that’s why we should be doing this,” He tried, watching as she pouted and shook her head. “You’re such a wonderful person and you deserve recognition for all that you’ve done with your books and charities. This would be a perfect opportunity for your book launch and to bring in some extra publicity and donations for your charities, darling,” He tried to coerce.

She groaned, scrubbing her hands down her face in exasperation. “But _I don’t want to make a big deal!_ ” She nearly whined, about two-seconds away from pouting like a five year old.

Tony’s gaze softened, a smile gracing his features. “Think about all the good you can do with the proceeds of the gala and the launch of your book, darling. Think about all the _children_ you can help.”

She pouted something fierce then, clearly giving in and crossing her arms in front of her chest. “ _Tony_ ,” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “How is it you know my weakness?”

Tony smiled, biting his lower lip as he stepped in closer to her, reaching out to rest his hands on both of her biceps, giving them a light squeeze. “Might be because we share similar weaknesses,” He murmured.

Percy’s pout disappeared then, her gaze softening as she nodded. “Yeah…okay, Tony. I guess you can go ahead with the plans for the gala,” She conceded.

Tony’s face lit up and he squeezed her arms harder in his excitement. “Already done! It’s set for a week Saturday.”

She groaned loudly and pulled away from him, throwing her hands up into the air as she turned to face their friends in the living room. “Is he always like this?” She asked with a shake of her head as she gestured broadly to the man behind her.

Bucky snickered and glanced to Steve who was grinning widely. “Tony Stark never was one to do things by halves,” Natasha said from her spot on the couch, a smirk tugging at her lips.

Percy huffed and shook her head. “I guess not. _Well_ , I’ll go to your gala, Tony,” She said, turning back to the genius. “So long as I don’t have to make a speech or-or Heaven forbid- _dance._ ” 

Tony beamed at her, his nose scrunching up adorably, eyes crinkling delightfully at the corners. “No problem, Percy. You don’t have to make a speech and you don’t have to dance with anyone you don’t want to, but you _do_ have to get dressed up.”

Percy’s smile fell, her face going visibly pale. “ _Oh God_ ,” She said. “What am I going to wear?” She breathed.

Tony grinned at her. “I’ll have Pepper send over a couple of options for you and Nat and I’ll take care of the rest of the guys,” He reassured, resting a hand against her shoulder and rubbing his thumb lightly against her collarbone through her shirt.

He couldn’t help notice that she shivered at the contact and he bit his lower lip as she pulled away from him. Natasha smirked over at the genius. “Make sure Pepper brings over at least half a dozen dresses in black and you know I prefer short,” Natasha told him with a wink.

Tony chuckled, but then Percy was smiling nervously over at him. “I like colour…but nothing too revealing, _please_ ,” She insisted.


	6. Six

And really, Tony was going to be considerate, but he figured he could at least _try_ and see what kind of options he could get Pepper to choose for Percy. He knew she wouldn’t disappoint him. And so, come Tuesday evening, Pepper had sent over close to twenty dress options for both Natasha and Percy and the young woman had come by the Tower to see about trying on a couple of them.

Pepper had come by as well, wanting to meet her and wasn’t disappointed in the least. The girls had opened a bottle of white wine and were casually sipping from their glasses as they discussed their options as Pepper told them she would be attending the gala as well.

Percy was oddly quiet as she let her fingertips toy with the fabric of several of the dresses while Natasha busied herself behind a privacy screen as she changed into one of the sleek black dresses that’d caught her eye.

“Oh, I like that one on you,” Pepper told her as the red-head came out from behind the screen.

“Hmm, I don’t know that I can hide much in terms of weaponry if I were to go with this one,” Natasha murmured, gazing thoughtfully at herself in the mirror.

Percy and Natasha both laughed and Natasha looked to them both curiously. “Y-you’re being serious, aren’t you?” Percy asked hesitantly.

Natasha smirked a bit. “Gotta’ be prepared,” She said, to which both women chuckled softly under their breath.

“Alright, Percy, your turn. Anything standing out for you?” Natasha asked.

“Can you tell me some of the colours I have to choose from?” Percy then asked timidly.

Pepper stood and walked towards the racks as she nodded. “Of course, dear. There are some pink, red as well and I have a navy blue dress and a soft yellow one too.”

“ _Oh_ ,” Percy said, a smile tugging at her lips. “Can I try the soft yellow one on?”

Pepper smiled, pulling it from the hanger as she nodded, giving Natasha a very interesting look as she held up the gown. “Of course you can. Just let us know if you need any help,” She told her and Percy nodded before she was being led towards the privacy screen to change. 

A couple of minutes went by and then Percy was groaning softly. “This isn’t a very modest dress…” She muttered.

Natasha grinned over at Pepper. “No, it certainly isn’t,” Natasha said happily as she watched Percy slip out from behind the screen, now wearing a very gorgeous and rather revealing gown.

Percy took a deep breath and tried not to curl in on herself in her self-consciousness. “Oh wow,” Pepper said. “You look incredible. That dress is gorgeous on you, dear,” Pepper told her earnestly.

Percy perked up a little, turning towards the woman. “Y-you think so? I feel like I’m on display,” She said nervously.

Natasha smiled as she came closer to examine the dress. It was a lovely shade of pale yellow, but it was definitely rather revealing, but very tastefully done. It was floor length, with a slit up the left side, nearly right to her hip and the material appeared to be satin and light as anything. It was a completely open back that showed off right down to where the dimples in her lower back ended and there was a trail of crystals that made up the thin straps that outlined the back of the dress.

The front of the dress was another thing entirely. It was a deep v for the neckline, the opening stretching down between her breasts and just a touch lower. Her breasts were highlighted by the opening, clearly not something you could wear a bra with and would require a serious amount of tape to keep any unfortunate mishaps from occurring.

Natasha smirked. “I think it’s perfect. You look stunning and all you need now is a pair of heels and a bit more confidence and I think you’ll be set.”

Percy swallowed, turning her head towards the woman. “You really think I could actually pull something like this off? I’m not sure, Natasha,” She started nervously, shaking her head.

But then Pepper was chuckling. “The fact that you’re unsure about being able to wear something like this, is all the more reason you should.”

Percy smiled nervously, swallowing hard. “If I’m going to wear this, then I think I’m going to need some tape.” 

Natasha laughed, already having grabbed some of the body tape Pepper had brought along. “Already got some, Percy. Don’t worry. I’ll help you get ready on Saturday, alright?” 

Percy smiled nervously and nodded. “So-“ She said, biting her lower lip gently. “Would you call the colour of the dress, buttercream? I just have to know.”

Pepper smiled at her in confusion. “I would classify it as such, actually. It’s a really lovely shade of yellow with cream undertones. And it’s not too tight or anything either. The material really is lovely and the shape shows off your figure beautifully,” She quickly assured her.

“Alright, well then…I guess this is what I’ll be wearing to the gala,” She decided and both woman shared a smirk with one another, unbeknownst to her.

 

_Three times_ , Natasha had to reassure Percy as the week wore on that she’d made the right choice in picking her gown and each time, Percy seemed to grow more and more wary of her decision. But it was already Saturday and there wasn’t much she could do about it now.

She’d met with Natasha to pick out shoes and discuss how she should wear her hair and she’d settled on a pair of cream coloured stilettos and having her hair up. It was braided along the right side and it led back into a slightly messy bun and she was more than a little nervous with the way her back was on such display, but she figured it couldn’t be as bad as her front.

Natasha had just finished helping her do her makeup and was applying more tape to make sure there were no slip-ups and Percy couldn’t help chuckling softly under her breath. “I think you’ve felt me up more in the last ten minutes than I’ve experienced in the last three years combined,” She confessed.

Natasha laughed and shook her head. “Hard to believe with someone as beautiful as yourself, Percy.”

Percy smiled softly and then let out a sigh. “I guess you could say I have trust issues.”

Natasha’s fingers stilled as she made sure the v of her dress wasn’t going to budge an inch and looked at the young woman in sympathy. “Yeah, I hear you,” She murmured. “People like to take advantage.” 

“ _Well-_ “ Percy started. “I won’t let it happen again,” She said firmly and Natasha smiled.

“I don’t think any of us would let that happen,” She insisted.

Percy tilted her head as she regarded the woman and then nodded. “Alright, so, do I look okay?” She asked, taking a step back and gesturing to herself.

Natasha smiled warmly at her. “You look lovely, Percy.”

Percy smiled hesitantly as she readjusted her pearl necklace. “Thank you, Natasha. I do appreciate you helping me out with this. I’ve never been to a fancy gala or anything like this before and I’m definitely nervous about the whole thing,” She confessed.

Natasha nodded before she was taking the young woman’s hand and guiding her towards the elevator. “Don’t worry about it. Come on, we’d better get a move on, don’t want to keep the boys waiting.”

Percy bit her lower lip gently as they stepped into the elevator together and as the elevator started to ascend towards Tony’s penthouse, Percy couldn’t help shifting nervously beside her. “ _Relax_ ,” Natasha murmured in reassurance, squeezing her hand.

“Do-do you think they’ll-“ Percy started, but found herself unable to continue and instead shook her head. “Never mind,” She said hastily, huffing out a frustrated breath. 

_It was silly anyway._ She thought to herself instead.

Natasha smirked knowingly and then the elevator was coming to a stop and the doors dinged as they opened. “They’ll love it,” She whispered, just loud enough for the young woman at her side to hear.

Percy’s cheeks heated as she turned her head towards the woman, clearly surprised that she’d figured out what she’d been about to ask. But then she was stepping out of the elevator and walking out into the living room of Tony’s private floor. And just like that, Percy could feel all eyes turn on them and she swallowed hard as she tried to straighten herself up and smile a little less nervously as they walked towards the group.

“ _Wow,_ ” Came first Clint’s exclamation and then she could clearly hear a couple of people clearing their throats respectively.

“Hey guys?“ Tony called from one of the other rooms. “Are the girls here yet? The limo will be here in about fifteen and I thought we could have some champagne before-” He said as his voice grew steadily louder as he came out into the living room.

He stopped mid-sentence, however, upon catching sight of Percy, his breath sounding as if it were being punched out of him. “ _Wow_ -shit-I mean-you look _stunning_ ,” He said breathlessly, stumbling over his words rather eloquently; a blush spreading across his cheeks that Percy was quickly mirroring.

“ _Ah-_ it’s too much, isn’t it?” She asked nervously as Natasha let go of her hand and walked to where Clint was clearly eyeing her heatedly. 

And then Percy was left standing by herself for a moment, with way too many sets of eyes on her. “It’s too much, I knew it would be. Natasha and Pepper insisted that it was alright,” She started to ramble, clearly uncomfortable, but then Tony was laughing.

“Calm down a second, Percy,” He said in an attempt to ease her nerves as he strode towards her.

Percy immediately flushed and took a deep breath as she crossed her arms nervously in front of her, not aware that the gesture heavily accentuated her breasts. Bucky groaned softly under his breath, but quickly covered it with a cough when Steve, Natasha and Clint looked to him with knowing smirks on their faces while Percy remained oblivious.

“You look _stunning_ ,” Tony said again, much more in control of himself for the moment; although his lips were trying to turn up into a grin that he was fighting wholeheartedly.

“It’s not too revealing?” She asked self-consciously, letting her hands fall back to her sides as she turned towards the sound of his voice as he came even closer to her.

As she turned, Steve and the others were gifted with the view of her uncovered back and now it was Steve who was stifling a groan of his own as he bit down hard on his lower lip and averted his gaze for a moment to collect himself. 

Tony smirked at her as he stepped up towards her, taking her hand gently in his as he tried to direct her in a spin. She laughed nervously and let him spin her and when she righted herself again, he let out a very deep sigh.

“ _Oh_ , it’s revealing alright,” He teased and she laughed, shoving at him playfully. 

“Stop it, Tony. I’m being serious here. Is it too much? I’m sure I could find something else to wear if it’s too much,” She tried to insist, but Tony shook his head.

“You look lovely, Percy,” He insisted. “And I’d be _very_ disappointed if you changed into anything else,” He murmured, while trying not to add; ‘ _that isn’t what you may or may not have on under there.’_

She smiled nervously and nodded a little more hesitantly than she’d like to admit. “Okay,” She said, but then Bucky was clearing his throat from the edge of the kitchen.

“Tony, you said something about champagne?” Bucky helpfully reminded him.

Tony nodded and eagerly darted off towards the bar to grab a bottle of champagne and ready some flutes for the group. “I sure did! Got a bottle of the best for us to enjoy,” He said excitedly.

The group laughed and nodded and soon they were standing up by the bar as Tony poured them all glasses of champagne. Percy was standing between Bucky and Steve as they toasted each other to the night ahead and while they waited for the arrival of the limousine, Percy found herself in conversation with them both.

“You really do look lovely, Percy,” Bucky told her earnestly as he let his gaze wander over her slender frame.

He’d always found her to appear rather lithe, slender but curvy in all the right places. The dress really didn’t leave much to the imagination and he found himself rather enjoying watching the way she moved with the light fabric shifting against her skin in such a tantalizing way. He wondered if it tickled and then wondered some more about whether or not she had anything on underneath. 

His gaze flickered over her form once more and he shared a look with Steve when the blonde cleared his throat, shifting where he stood. Steve raised a brow at him curiously, unable to contain a smirk as he too glanced down over her, wondering if she did indeed have anything on underneath. That slit was dangerously high…

Percy ducked her head in embarrassment and tried to shy away from Bucky’s gaze then. She could practically feel their eyes raking over her and she couldn’t help her cheeks from heating at the attention. But then Steve surprised her when he grasped her hip ever so gently, being a right gentleman as he was careful not to actually touch the bared skin of her back as he pulled her towards him just a touch.

She soon found one of his fingers lifting her chin up towards him in a possessive yet gentle display and she was sure her blush had turned into a full-body flush as she felt his gaze boring into her. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him unseeing. “You do look beautiful, Percy. And you should really take our word for it. Don’t shy away from a compliment…not when you so clearly deserve it,” He said lowly, letting his fingertip slip from her chin and his hand slip from her hip.

She blinked, feeling slightly dazed at his words and the alluring tone of his voice. She’d not once heard him speak to her like that and for a moment she felt lost without his steady hand against her hip or his hand on her chin to reassure her. She swallowed hard and nodded, whispering something she thought could be; ‘ _alright, Steve_ ’ as she let herself sip at her champagne.

Soon they were making their way towards the elevator and Percy stopped to bend down and pet Parker. “Thank you for staying with him tonight, Bruce. I hope he’s not too much trouble.”

Bruce smiled. “Ah, I’m sure he’ll be great company. Don’t worry, we’ll have a good time together. You go and enjoy yourself. I’m sorry I can’t join you…but me and crowds don’t work too well together,” He confessed.

Percy gave him a sympathetic smile as she nodded. “I understand, hun. Don’t worry about it. You enjoy your night too.”

Bruce nodded and watched as Steve came towards them and gently touched Percy’s elbow. “Can I guide you to the elevator, Miss Matthews?” He asked with a smile.

Percy chuckled softly and smiled over at the blonde. “Ooh, am I ever lucky. I get to walk around with arm candy all night and look like someone rich and famous.”

Steve chuckled as well. “I think _I’m_ the one who’s lucky, Percy,” He told her with a smirk tugging at his lips.

Percy chuckled, shaking her head. “Alright, lead the way, _Captain_.”

Steve gave Bruce a salute and Parker a quick pet before they were joining the others in the elevator and heading down towards the private garage where their limousine was waiting. About a half hour later they arrived at the hotel where the gala was taking place and as they pulled up, Tony took a deep breath.

“Alright everybody, put your cheesy smiles on,” Tony grinned.

Percy laughed lightly and rolled her eyes and Tony grinned at her response and then he was slipping out of the limo with the rest of the group in tow. Percy could hear dozens of people hollering questions at them, the sound of cameras going off and the overwhelming amount of voices just talking in general around them. She couldn’t help holding onto Steve’s arm tighter as the blonde guided her along the pathway.

“Deep breaths, Percy. There are some steps coming up, so just listen to me and I’ll get you away from all the noise,” Steve said, leaning in to murmur against her ear. 

Percy smiled, relieved to know that he was there with her. He really was such a wonderful friend, she thought. A bit of the tension she’d gathered in her shoulders released and she nodded, “Alright.”

In just a couple of minutes they were safely up the steps and in the ballroom of the hotel with hundreds of people therein. The volume was much more tolerable inside and there was music playing around them as people milled about and made introductions and small talk with one another. Steve kept close to her, just leading her around the room as they mingled with several people whom Tony had directed them towards.

Some were charity heads, others were writer’s as well. All of whom said they had admired Percy’s work for years and were pleasantly surprised to hear that her latest book would be featuring some of Steve Rogers’ original drawings. She’d been floored that so many of the writer’s she was introduced to were even aware that she’d existed and she chatted on with them for a while, thanking them for coming and the like.

After nearly an hour of socializing as the rest of the guests arrived, their little group moved off towards one of the bars where Natasha and Clint had taken up residence, surveying the party while they sipped at their drinks.

Tony was still off _schmoozing_ as he’d called it and had yet to return to them, but Bucky, Steve and Percy had decided to join the pair in having a drink…or three, if Percy was being completely honest with herself. “Would you like something to dri-“ Bucky started to ask her, but was interrupted when Percy nodded vigorously.

“ _Yes, please,_ ” She said hurriedly and Bucky chuckled.

“Red or white or?” He asked.

“At this point, it could be straight vodka for all I care,” She said with a bout of nervous laughter escaping her.

Bucky smiled sympathetically at her and nodded. “Be right back,” He said, giving her shoulder a light caress before he was slipping in closer to talk to the bartender. 

Natasha chuckled softly from nearby and Percy glanced towards the sound of her laughter. “Stressed?” She asked.

Percy shook her head. “Uncomfortable,” She corrected.

Steve frowned, glancing down at her as she held onto his arm. He hadn’t realized how tight she’d actually been squeezing him and he disentangled himself from her and turned to look her in the eyes. “ _Hey_ , if this is too much,” He started worriedly.

Percy sighed, shaking her head as she tried to stand up straighter. “I’m okay, Steve. Sorry, I’m alright. I just need a drink to settle my nerves a bit. It’s hard when there are so many sounds and I just have a hard time concentrating.”

Steve nodded in understanding. “It’s overwhelming, I get it.”

She nodded, visibly relaxing when she realized he did. “I’ll be alright in a minute. Thank you for staying with me. Without Parker I feel really lost and I don’t even have my cane with me so this is really me giving up all control to whomever happens to get stuck babysitting me.”

Steve scoffed. “ _Percy_ -I _want_ to be here with you. Relax, _okay?_ We said we’d take turns helping you around tonight, so don’t worry. We’re not babysitting, we’re looking after our best girl,” He told her earnestly.

Percy’s gaze softened. Steve Rogers calling her his best girl was rather lovely and she had to stomp down the swarm of butterflies that took flight in her stomach. A gentle smile tugged at her lips in response, but then Bucky was coming up beside her and taking her hand in his as he pressed a glass of wine into her waiting hand. “Thank you, James,” She murmured.

Bucky smiled and watched as she went to take a sip of her drink. “You’re welcome, doll. Hey, why don’t I walk with you for a bit? I think Tony needed to see Steve for a few anyway.”

Steve glanced towards his lover curiously. He hadn’t known that Tony was looking for him and he tilted his head as if in question. But then Percy was nodding as she reached out for Bucky, who then stepped in closer as she linked arms with his flesh and blood arm and pressed in close. 

Bucky bit his lower lip as he resisted the urge to look down at the no doubt _glorious_ amount of cleavage she was sure to be pressing against his arm and instead watched as Steve’s eyes widened as he apparently looked his fill. The blonde swallowed hard and quickly met his lover’s gaze, clearly having been caught in the act and Bucky smirked at him darkly, drawing his bottom lip between his teeth teasingly.

“I’ll take over from here, Stevie. You go see what Tony needed, yeah?” Bucky murmured, giving him a wink.

Steve tried to keep himself from glaring too openly at his lover as he nodded, the corner of his lips twitching as he cast Clint and Natasha a quick look, only to find them smirking and looking anywhere but at them for the moment. “Sure, Buck,” Steve said cheerily before he leaned in and gave Percy’s cheek a kiss. 

“ _Steve_ ,” She laughed. “You’re going to get yourself into trouble,” She teased.

Bucky snickered and Steve rolled his eyes as he drew away. “It’d be worth it,” He singsonged and she shook her head as he started walking away.

“So, is this your plan? Pass me around all evening like some- _some_ -” Percy said, unable to think of the proper word.

“ _Floozy?_ ” He offered. “You ain’t no floozy, doll,” Bucky said with a grin, listening to both Clint and Natasha snicker beside them.

Percy smiled, her nose scrunching up adorably before she took a sip of her wine. “Well, that’s nice to hear.”

Bucky grinned, shaking his head as he looked to her, a huff of laughter escaping him. They stayed together at the bar for while until Percy felt confident enough to move around a bit again. Natasha and Clint had disappeared off somewhere for the time being and Bucky thought he could guide her well enough around the room, so they ventured out into the crowd.

It wasn’t long before Percy was feeling more at ease, probably thanks to the alcohol, but she preferred to think it was the company. Bucky had kept close to her while Steve had disappeared to help Tony with whatever he’d asked of him and so it was just the two of them as they wandered around and made small talk with whomever wished to initiate it.

Percy couldn’t help but notice that far fewer people seemed to bother them when she had Bucky on her arm and this was both irritating and a kind of relief. It meant that people were probably still uncomfortable with him after knowing who he was and were too afraid to approach them, which she thought was absolutely ridiculous.

But at the same time, she was relieved that they had a bit of time alone together, even if they weren’t really alone. All the conversations were rather overwhelming and it was easier if she could just focus on one person and not let the noise of everything else get to her. She was just relieved that Bucky didn’t seem bothered when it was just the two of them chatting quietly or simply enjoying each other’s company in silence as they hummed along to the music and sipped at their drinks.

Bucky cleared his throat suddenly from beside her and Percy turned to face him. “I uh, just need to disappear for a second, think you’ll be alright on your own for a minute?”

Percy smiled and nodded, allowing their arms to unlink as he pulled away slightly. “Of course, James. I’ll stay put, promise.”

Bucky smiled and gave her cheek a kiss, to which she swatted at him and laughed. “You’re going to get yourself into trouble too,” She chastised.

Bucky smirked, chuckling under his breath as he started walking away from her. “It’d be worth it,” He singsonged.

Percy just laughed and tried to relax as he left her side. No one bothered her at all for the moment and a half she’d been left and then the music was stopping as someone picked up a microphone. “Hello, ladies and gentlemen!” Came Tony’s very enthusiastic greeting over the sound system.

Percy chuckled when she heard it and smiled as she turned towards where she thought his voice was coming from. She thought he was fairly close by because she could actually hear his voice as it usually sounded beneath the amplification.

“Thank you all for coming here tonight, I promise to make this brief. I know you’re all just here to drink and ogle all the pretty ladies, but there is actually another reason we are here tonight,” Tony said with a warm smile on his face all the while.

“We’re here to help support the numerous charitable organizations that a very dear friend of mine has been supporting for a very long time. She’s a talented young writer with a heart of pure gold and you’re probably all thinking, ‘ _what the hell is a woman like that hanging around with Tony Stark for?_ ’ But let me tell you something-“ He continued, his gaze softening as he picked out Percy in the sea of people before him.

“She put up with me before she knew what my last name was and then when she did find out I was a Stark, she didn’t run for the hills like I half expected her to. She’s a remarkable woman, not just because of the fact she puts up with me and doesn’t take any of my shit- _pardon my language_ -“ He chuckled.

Percy couldn’t help laughing and she covered her mouth in embarrassment. “ _Language_ ,” She admonished and Tony grinned at her from the edge of the stage, having come closer. 

“But she is a wonderful human being. She’s written several children’s books and has had all of the proceeds from their sales donated to her preferred charities, not taking a penny for herself,” He told the occupants of the room, shaking his head.

“She is a charitable woman and an amazing friend and tonight is all about acknowledging her accomplishments as a writer and as a contributor. She is writing these books in hopes of instilling good moral values in the children of today and we could always use another good role model in today’s world,“ He told them, still smiling warmly across at the young woman.

“I won’t keep you any longer, you’re probably all _dying_ to get back to dancing and drinking and working yourselves into early graves, so let me just get you all to give a big round of applause for our guest of honour, _Miss Percy Matthews!_ ” He said loudly, gesturing towards the aforementioned woman in the crowd. 

“Doesn’t she look lovely?” Tony murmured into the microphone softly as all eyes in the room turned on her.

And the room abruptly descended into a bout of clapping, cheering and murmurs of praise and adoration for the young woman. Percy tried so hard not to shy away under all the attention and she smiled, her cheeks heating delightfully as she dipped her head and murmured her thanks, raising her glass in a gesture of cheers to the entirety of the room. She was so embarrassed and yet she was so incredibly thankful that Tony was able to do this for her and in turn, her charities. And as she remembered this, she tried her best to straighten up under the praise and not shrink from it.

Tony flipped off the microphone and the music resumed thereafter. He exited the stage and started towards the young woman and as he watched the people around her speak to her quietly and clearly thank her for all her charitable work, he could tell that she was trying very hard not to shrink under the attention. He smiled softly to himself when he caught sight of Bucky and Steve staying close by, keeping an eye on her, but wanting her to be on her own for just a moment or two longer.

He motioned towards his lovers when they met his gaze and they started towards Percy just as he got there. “ _Well_ , Miss Matthews,” Tony greeted, watching as her lips quirked and she let out a nervous chuckle.

“Mr. Stark, you give me far too much credit,” She said softly, a hint of teasing in her voice and he smiled, shaking his head. 

“Not nearly enough, if you ask me,” He insisted.

She smiled shyly and then Steve and Bucky were coming up beside her. “That was lovely, Tony. Could have done without the cursing,” Steve started to reprimand, but Bucky snickered.

“Stevie, you’ve got the _worst_ potty mouth there is. How long are you gonna keep that up?” Bucky said in only slight annoyance.

Steve guffawed, feigning insult and both Tony and Percy laughed. “He does have a pretty dirty potty mouth,” Tony agreed and Percy shook her head.

“Steven Grant Rogers- _why I never_ ,” She said in faux disappointment.

Steve grinned at her and shook his head, his nose scrunching up adorably. “ _Anyway_ ,” He tried to deter. “Tony, that was really lovely.”

Tony shrugged, smiling over at Percy sweetly, suddenly really wanting to say something cheesy like; ‘ _Not as lovely as this one,’_ and had to mentally stop himself from doing so. “It was lovely, Tony. Thank you…was really sweet…” Percy said shyly, hiding her timid smile behind her glass as she took another sip of her wine.

Tony just smiled at her and shrugged. “Don’t mention it.”

A couple of minutes passed by and they chatted, but Bucky had gone oddly quiet in the midst of their conversation and Percy scooted closer towards him, linking arms with the brunette. “Everything alright, James?” She asked quietly, trying not to draw Tony and Steve’s attention.

Bucky shrugged, turning to murmur in her ear. “Wanted to ask the punk to dance…but I don’t know if it’s a good idea…there’s so many people here and I know it’d probably make the papers and stuff,” He said dejectedly.

Percy brows pinched up in concern. “James, are you afraid to let the world know you’re together like that?”

Bucky shook his head. “Not afraid, not really. I just know that there’s already a lot of rumours out there about him and I, Tony too and I just don’t want to cause trouble for either of them. It just…back when we were younger, we couldn’t be together like we are now. We could never hold hands in public or kiss or dance or _anything_ because it was _illegal_. It’d get a guy killed,” He confessed and Percy’s grip on him tightened.

He patted her hand in reassurance. “And now that it’s allowed…I guess I am afraid that because he’s Captain America, there will be a huge backlash against him. It’s like…now it’s allowed, but for us it isn’t,” He said, frowning as he cast a glance towards his two lovers.

Percy shook her head in frustration. “Have you ever talked to him about this, even Tony?”

Bucky shook his head. “I sort of avoid it. Though he’s tried to bring it up a few times, I never let him get a word out. I just don’t want him to have to fight for one more thing,” He said, sighing deeply. “He’s already fought for so much.”

Percy frowned and shook her head. “This isn’t something you should let the world control, James. They’re your partners and you’ve all fought for so much, you should get to enjoy this together and just-just say _fuck it,_ ” She blurted.

Bucky couldn’t help laughing at that, shaking his head at her.“I know, Percy. I know,” He said on a deep sigh. “I really just want to dance with him. Haven’t danced with the punk since I taught him how back in our dingy apartment,” He huffed.

Percy gaze softened and she reached up to cup his cheek. “You should ask him to dance, James. I think it’s time you let go of this fear. Yes, he’s Captain America. But right now, he’s Steve Rogers at a party and I’m sure he wishes he could dance with his best guy.”

Bucky swallowed hard, glancing past her to look at the blonde in question as he chatted with Tony. “You think he’d be okay with that? You think he’d say yes?”

Percy smiled and nodded, letting her hand slip from his cheek. “I know he would,” She said confidently.

Bucky turned his gaze back to her then, searching her face for something. “You know something I don’t, don’t you?” 

Percy shrugged, thinking back to a conversation she’d had with the blonde just over a month or so ago. He’d expressed his desire to want to be more open about their relationship, but had told her that it just wasn’t in the cards for him. She’d adamantly refused to believe that and told him he should speak to his lovers about it and he’d agreed.

He’d later told her that it hadn’t gone well, but promised to keep trying to bring it up with them and she’d given him a hug and told him not to give up. It’d all work out sooner or later. She released Bucky’s arm as she finished the last sip of her wine. “Maybe,” She said quietly, giving him a wink.

Bucky smirked, giving his head a shake before he took a deep breath and looked back at Steve. The blonde really did look lovely tonight, dressed up in a dark navy blue suit, hair neatly styled and looking positively ravishing. 

Bucky shook his head once again before he exhaled slowly and throwing caution to the wind, he patted Percy’s hand and removed it from his bicep. She smiled, feeling him shift and then he was whispering to her, “Thanks, doll.”

And then he was walking over to Steve, moving to stand directly in front of the blonde. Steve smiled softly, looking to him curiously as Bucky removed his now empty wine glass from his hand and set it on a passing waiter’s tray.

“Hey, Stevie?” Bucky asked, trying to muster up some of his courage as he met the blonde’s gorgeously blue adoring gaze. 

Steve smiled at him warmly and then the brunette was extending his hand towards him and his eyes steadily widened at Bucky’s next words. “Will you dance with me?” 

Steve swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on Bucky and no one else in that moment. Bucky waited, hoping beyond hope that Percy had been right and that he’d been right in asking in the first place. But then Steve’s gaze softened and he smiled so wonderfully bright and beautiful before he nodded; just once. 

“Of course I’ll dance with you, you jerk. Only took you 70 some odd years to get up the courage to actually ask me again. Think I’m going to blow the chance?” Steve shot back, all fondness.

Bucky laughed, his nose scrunching up and eyes crinkling at his lover’s response before Steve took his hand and he was dragging him off towards the dance floor. Tony chuckled under his breath as he sidled up to Percy and gave her a warm smile.

“This your doing?” He asked cheekily.

Percy smiled, giving him a one shouldered shrug. “Might of given James a little push,” She confessed.

Tony looked to her, shaking his head in fond amusement that was soon softening into adoration. “Thank you. You don’t know how hard I’ve tried to get those two to just out themselves over the last couple of years. They deserve to be able to be out in public together like this.”

Percy turned to him then. “You deserve the same, Tony. You know that, _right?_ ”

Tony shook his head, letting his gaze wander back to his lovers as they took up their places on the dance floor, Bucky leading them in the dance. Steve’s cheeks were already pink and Bucky looked more confident in that moment than he’d ever seen the man before.

“It’s not possible for me to be openly out with them like that. The company stocks would plummet, or so I’ve been told. The board is primarily composed of old men set in their ways. They’d boot me out in a heartbeat and although I love those two more than anything, my company does need me and I it,” He murmured.

“As long as they get to be out together like this, I’m comfortable having them all to myself at home. It’s hard to be a private person when you’re Tony Stark, but it is kind of thrilling to know that no one gets to see them like I do,” He whispered, turning his attention back towards the young woman at his side.

She was smiling faintly, clearly in sympathy and understanding as she looked unseeing towards the dance floor, envisioning the two of them caught up in a dance together. “Is Steve smiling?” She asked quietly after a beat.

Tony glanced back towards where Bucky was leading the blonde easily. Steve looked so elated, his cheeks flushed and a shy smile on his face while he looked at Bucky in adoration. Bucky was looking back at him with a stupid grin on his face that was way too fond to be seen as anything other than love.

“They’re both smiling like complete dorks and Steve’s cheeks are so red, it’s adorable,” He admitted with a deep chuckle.

Percy laughed, shaking her head. “I knew he’d be a blusher. _Oh please_ tell me he blushes so pretty,” She said in excitement, her own cheeks suddenly heating as she realized what she’d just said.

Tony grinned at her, biting his lower lip. “Oh, does he ever.”

She laughed, trying to stifle her silly smile as she shook her head. “Gotta’ say though…I don’t think anyone blushes as sweet as you,” Tony said teasingly.

Percy scowled playfully at him, shoving his shoulder lightly and he grinned at her before he was grasping her outstretched wrist lightly and removing her wine glass from her other hand with nimble fingers. He set it aside on a waiter’s tray and watched as she blushed deeply as he tugged her towards him then. 

“Will you dance with me, Percy?” He asked lowly, leaning in close to her ear.

She inhaled shakily, her blush spreading down her throat and he couldn’t help letting his gaze wander lower to see it spread across her bared collarbones. She was absolutely gorgeous and he found himself wishing he could see more…maybe all of her. No, _definitely_ all of her.

“You don’t want to dance with me, Tony. I’m no good at it,” She tried weakly.

He laughed lightly, shaking his head at her. “I’m pretty sure Steve outed you a while back. He said you told him you know how to dance. I’m pretty sure he also told me later that you were well versed in ballroom dancing. So come on, humour me?” He asked hopefully, drawing her in closer.

Percy chuckled nervously, biting her lower lip as she stepped into his space a bit more. “Just one dance,” She conceded after a beat and Tony grinned as he shifted to hold her hand properly and start to lead her towards the dance floor.

Percy followed, wondering what she’d just gotten herself into and had to simply trust in him as he led her through the throng of people towards the other dancing couples. She tried to just focus on him, the way his hand felt grasping hers and she smiled as he came to a stop and shifted around to face her. He stepped in closer to her then and she inhaled sharply as he pressed against her, settling his hand on her hip before sliding it around to place the palm of his hand against the bared skin of her lower back. He certainly wasn’t shy.

She reached up with her left and grasped his shoulder lightly as Tony started to lead her, the hand settled against her back feeling nothing short of searing against her already heated skin. The music wasn’t too loud from where they were, the band a bit of a ways away. She could hear people around them dancing and talking amongst each other, but she tried to block it all out and simply focus on Tony instead; which was honestly probably her biggest mistake.

Because Tony wasn’t just Tony. He was _Tony Stark_ and he was pulling out all the stops for her tonight, apparently. “Are you enjoying yourself, Percy?” He asked her quietly, leaning in to whisper against the shell of her ear.

She smiled shyly and nodded, turning her head from him a bit more. “I am. The music is lovely, the wine is excellent and the company is wonderful.”

Tony chuckled under his breath and smiled at her, his gaze flickering down her frame as she danced with him slowly, the movement of her dress and the way her skin appeared flushed drawing his very close attention. “I’m glad you approve,” He murmured absently.

She smiled and let herself be led along as the music continued to play, the song slowing and beginning to shift into the next. “You know…you really do look lovely tonight, Percy. Not that you don’t look lovely every night and every second of every day,” He murmured close to her ear.

“ _Tony,_ would you stop with the compliments? I’m going to turn into a tomato,” She said whilst chuckling in embarrassment, her blush deepening.

Tony smirked at her and shrugged. “I can’t help it. You’d never let me compliment you if we weren’t out at a fancy event, so I gotta’ get them all in now.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

Tony smiled, letting his gaze continue to wander as he pulled back from her just a bit and directed her in a spin. She bit her lower lip as he spun her and she returned to his embrace, taking up her spot once again. “ _Beautiful,_ ” He whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.

She rolled her eyes at him, humming softly as she let him pick up the pace as the song grew a little more interesting, the melody insisting on a faster pace. “Think you can keep up in those heels?” Tony teased lightly, glancing down the length of her and catching sight of the full length of her leg as it slipped from the slit up the side.

“Of course I can,” She insisted, straightening more in his grasp; determination settling across her brow.

“Good,” Was all the warning he’d given her before he was spinning her out once again and reeling her back in.

The beginnings of a smirk was threatening to turn up the corner of her lips as he pressed himself up against her back, holding her against him with their arms twined around her front for only a moment. And as she unwound smoothly from him, she bit her lower lip as she relaxed in his grasp and then they were dancing in earnest, taking up far more of the dance floor than Tony was even aware they could get away with.

But Percy didn’t seem to notice when all she could focus on was him and the way his hands felt on her skin, the warmth of his body against hers and the scent of his cologne filling her senses. She was trembling by the time the song came to an end and he moved to dip her.

She couldn’t help laughing nervously as he pressed himself in close as he dipped her down far lower than she’d realized he intended and her cheeks heated when she felt his eyes raking along the front of her body. She swallowed hard, forcing herself not to turn her head away from him as he leaned in close. In the back of her mind, she had the crazy notion of what it might be like to lean up just a touch further and kiss his smart mouth and she tried not to shiver at the tempting thought.

Tony’s gaze flickered along her throat, skimming over the lovely strand of pearls she always loved to wear and down between her breasts. He wondered what she’d look like wearing nothing but those pearls as he settled himself between her gorgeous legs and then had to promptly cut that absolutely _tantalizing_ thought short or he was going to make himself uncomfortable.

She was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly as he pulled her up and took a step back, raising her hand to his lips to give her knuckles a kiss as he bowed. She laughed delightedly, cheeks a gorgeous shade of pink and the flush extending even lower still as she shook her head at him. But then the crowd that had gathered around them was applauding and murmuring their praise for their apparent skill and Percy immediately startled, shying away, not having realized that so many people had been watching them.

Tony chuckled and slipped his arm through hers as he pulled her along towards where Bucky and Steve were standing and watching them with stupid grins on their faces. He had to refrain from rolling his eyes at the dorks. “Thank you for the dance, Percy,” Tony whispered to her and she blushed even more so.

“Thank you for asking me to dance, Tony,” She murmured back, but then she heard a scoff from somewhere behind her and she turned her head towards the sound, swearing she recognized the sound of the person’s voice.

Tony cast a glance over her shoulder, wondering why she’d turned away from him, not having heard it himself. “Everything alright?” He asked her curiously.

She nodded, thought rather hesitantly. “Yeah, just thought I recognized someone’s voice.”

“Oh,” Tony said gently, looking around a bit. 

“See any assholes around?” She huffed.

Tony chuckled softly, his brow furrowing. “Ah, if only it were that easy. Neon signs hanging above their heads would be excellent, don’t you agree?”

Percy laughed lightly, shaking off the odd feeling as she nodded. “Was probably just a mistake. It’d be helpful, I’m sure.”

Tony smiled and patted her hand as she held his arm a bit tighter and his gaze was stuck on her as they approached his lovers. “Well, that looked like fun,” Bucky murmured, his lips twitching up at the corners as he fought off a grin.

Percy laughed, shaking her head at him. “It was. It’s been _years_ since I’ve danced like that with someone who knew what they were doing.”

Tony smiled over at her fondly. “So you ballroom dance, what other kind of dancing do you know?”

Percy shrugged a little. “I actually used to practice ballet. But it was too hard to keep up when I lost my sight. I was at risk of hurting myself when I didn’t have a partner and I didn’t trust anyone well enough to dance with me like that.”

“Oh,” Bucky breathed in surprise. “Ballet is beautiful…if you…if you ever want an instructor…or a partner… I might be able to help you out.” 

Percy turned to him then, a curious look settling across her brow. “You know ballet?”

Bucky cleared his throat when both Steve and Tony looked to him, gazes soft. “I do. I taught it once upon a time…so if you ever wanted a partner…” He trailed off, a little uncertain.

Percy’s lips curved up into a soft smile as she nodded. “Thank you, James.”

He nodded, avoiding both Steve and Tony’s gazes for the moment, worrying that their compassionate gazes may make him fall into an old memory or flashback of his time with Natalia. But then Tony’s name was being called and Percy recognized the voice belonging to Pepper. “Tony, I need your help with something. Steve, do you think you could help us out too? Oh and hi, Percy! I told you that dress was perfect. You look beautiful, dear,” Pepper said excitedly, smiling wonderfully at the young woman.

Percy smiled timidly and murmured her thanks before Tony and Steve were being ushered away. “We’ll be back shortly,” Steve called over his shoulder at them.

Percy nodded and Bucky slipped his arm through hers, resuming his position for the evening. “How are you doing?” He asked her softly, starting to lead her away from the busy dance floor.

Percy laughed nervously and fanned her face with her hand. “I’m actually feeling incredibly warm. Any chance we can sneak outside for a few minutes to get some fresh air?” She asked hopefully.

“Of course. There’s actually a balcony we can step out to,” He told her, already steering her towards the glass doors that led outside.

She nodded, following him along and soon they were stepping out onto the balcony together. She took a deep relieved breath the second the cooler air hit her face and she visibly relaxed. Bucky smiled faintly as he led her over towards the balcony’s railing. She untangled her arm from his as she let her hands feel along the stone railing and soon she was leaning against it for support.

“Thank you, James. Just needed a bit of fresh air,” She sighed.

He nodded, smiling quietly at her as he watched her take a few deep breaths. “No problem, I know these things can be a bit overwhelming.”

She nodded as she relaxed a bit more in his presence, bowing her head as she listened to the muted sounds of the party in the hotel behind her and the sounds of the evening around her. There was some kind of running water outside and she wondered if it was a fountain or something. Maybe there was a garden below and she bit her lower lip at the thought of them standing out on the balcony overlooking a beautiful garden together in the moonlight.

She shook herself from her throughs as Bucky let out a sigh from beside her. “There are stars out tonight. You can actually see them for once,” He murmured.

She smiled, tilting her head skywards and letting the cooler night air wash over her features. “I bet they’re beautiful, James.”

Bucky smiled, turning his gaze on her then as he nodded. “Sure are.”

She closed her eyes for a brief moment before she was turning towards him and giving him a timid smile; he smiled back. “Do you want a glass of water or something else to drink?” He offered, trying to distract himself from the warm glow of her skin, the way her chest rose and fell with each slow breath.

He couldn’t help licking his lips when he realized the cooler air had had an affect on her body…her nipples showing ever so slightly through the fabric of her dress and he struggled to resist the urge to gather her up in his arms to keep her warm. She said she needed some air, to actually _cool down_ …and he suddenly felt incredibly guilty for looking his fill upon her when she could do no such thing.

“Oh, I’d love a glass of water. I think I’m done with the wine for tonight,” She chuckled, interrupting his thoughts.

“No problem. I’ll be right back okay? I’ll run in and get you a glass,” He insisted, blinking quickly as he tore his gaze away from her beauty, his cheeks flushing.

“Okay, James. I’ll wait right here, _promise_ ,” She reassured with a tentative smile.

He watched as she leaned against the railing once again and gazed out across the garden unseeing before he headed back towards the door. He couldn’t help giving her one last look over his shoulder and sighed as he took in the sight of her bared back on such open display, the way she balanced with one heel on the floor and the other tucked back against her ankle. 

She just looked so beautiful and he really didn’t want to leave without telling her so and so against his better judgement, he didn’t. “Did I tell you how gorgeous you are yet tonight?” He called to her, his voice full of adoration.

She laughed, looking over her shoulder at him as she waved a hand dismissively. “Stop being such a charmer and go get me my glass of water,” She demanded playfully, shaking her head.

He grinned at her, his blush spreading. “Sure thing, baby doll,” He murmured before he was disappearing back inside the ballroom.

She laughed lightly, shaking her head a bit as she blushed deeply. “Always with the pet names,” She muttered under her breath; noting that that was the first time he’d ever called her _baby doll_. It’d always only been doll. She shook her head a bit and let out a sigh as she relaxed in the coolness of the evening.

It was quiet out on the balcony and she let herself settle as she hummed along to the music she could still hear playing inside. Not a minute later, the door was opening to the balcony and she glanced over her shoulder, assuming it was James. She smiled, bright and beautiful. “That was quick.”

But the voice she heard next wasn’t from whom she had expected. “Why hello there, Persephone. Isn’t this a pleasant surprise,” The man’s voice said lowly.


	7. Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning: there's an ex-boyfriend scene here where there's a bit of a scuffle. I promise all turns out okay and for the next chapter, I will put up a proper warning about the ex-boyfriend/Percy's past relationship because it wasn't a healthy one.

Percy immediately straightened, turning fully to face the man. “ _Daniel_ ,” She said in obvious shock, her eyes wide and staring. “W-what are you doing here?” She said warily, already taking a step away from him.

Daniel chuckled darkly under his breath. “ _Aw,_ now is that any way to greet an old lover?” He asked her, taking a few careful steps towards her, his eyes raking over her frame.

She swallowed hard, feeling his gaze on her and she shifted uncomfortably under his watchful gaze, her skin prickling in a way she didn’t care for in the least. “You were never my lover,” She muttered, anger flaring up inside her.

He smirked, the corners of his lips twitching evilly as he shook his head, taking another step towards her. He watched as she took another step away, her hand still grasping the railing tightly. “Don’t be like that, Perce. I’ve missed you so, haven’t you missed me?” He asked teasingly, but the maliciousness of his voice was starting to wreak havoc on her insides.

She shook her head quickly, taking another step away from him as the sound of his voice grew ever closer. “Of course I haven’t,” She snapped, a frown marring her beautiful features, brows pinched. “My date will be back any minute, so you’d better-“ She started to threaten, only to be interrupted by his awful laughter.

“That _murderer?_ He’s your date, eh? I thought I saw him dancing with that _fag_ , _Captain America,_ ” He muttered in clear annoyance and disgust and Percy snapped, taking a threatening step towards him, her hand leaving the safety of the railing.

“ _How dare you-_ “ She shouted, her voice rising, ready to throw a punch. 

Her hands clenched at her sides and she looked about two-seconds away from clawing his eyes out. He laughed delightedly at her reaction, watching deep red blotches form on her cheeks and spread across her chest in her anger. “What, are you telling me they _aren’t_ fags or murderers?” He asked lowly and she glared hotly at the man.

“ _Stop it_ -stop it, Daniel. Just leave and I won’t file charges against you for breaking your restraining order,” She breathed, feeling far more shaken up by his sudden appearance than she’d ever dare to admit to him.

He smirked darkly, taking a couple of careful steps towards her, trying to be as quiet as possible. He managed to get rather close before she realized what he was trying to do and she recoiled, taking several steps back from him. “What if I don’t want to leave just yet? _Hmm?_ ” He asked teasingly, taking a careful step to her right to get her to move back a bit more.

She shook her head in frustration, wanting to stand her ground but finding herself unable to do so. She took another step away from him. “What do you want? Why are you here?” She snapped in frustration.

He grinned at her. “Saw you in there looking like you do and dancing with Stark and I couldn’t resist. Knew I needed to talk to you, see if I could persuade you to come home with me; a _real man_. You’ve missed me, I know you have. I bet Stark’s not taking proper care of his toy if you’re still blushin’ around him so much. Bet those fags wouldn’t know what to do with a bitch like you either,” He muttered under his breath.

“ _Shut up!_ ” She snapped, her temper flaring as she attempted to take a step towards him, ready to lash out; she wasn’t beyond getting physical with him if she had to.

She hated that he made her feel like this, even after escaping him so many years ago. She shook her head, frustrated with him. “ _Just go!_ ” She demanded. “Leave me alone and don’t talk about them like that. _They_ are real men, not like _you_. They would never hurt a woman, they would do anything to help the world-the people-to protect it and protect me-“ She started, but was interrupted by his dangerous almost near manic laughter.

“You think they’re always going to be there to protect you? What about now, _hmm?_ I don’t see them here, do you?” He asked her mockingly.

She glared at him hotly and he smirked, biting his lower lip as he took another step towards her, forcing her to take another step back as she heard the sound of his shoes against the stones. His gaze raked down her frame, clearly wanting to reach out and touch her. But then he looked just past her and grinning darkly, he pressed in closer. 

“You’re just _aching_ for it, aren’t you? Look at you, your nipples are stiff and I bet you’d bend over for me _so sweetly,_ ” He whispered, licking his lips as he let his gaze flicker from her breasts back up to her throat. “Still wearing those ugly pearls?” He suddenly muttered, his temper getting the better of him then. “Thought I told you they make you look _old,_ ” He said, reaching out to her swiftly.

She was unprepared for his sudden grasp on her necklace as he tore it from her neck roughly and she gasped in surprise, the sound of her pearls hitting the stone floor as she stumbled backwards sounding in her ears and then she felt her heel slip off an edge. _Stairs._ She thought frantically, realizing he’d backed her right up to what was surely going to be a dangerous height.

She reached out in front of her, trying to grab onto something- _anything_ -as Daniel’s laughter filled her ears. But then she felt a strong, cool, metal hand grasping her wrist firmly and yanking her back to safety. She shouted as pain shot through her wrist from the grip as she was quickly righted and then Daniel’s laughter ceased suddenly. She gasped out as she heard him release a pained grunt, blinking hard as she tried to steady the awful pounding in her ears from the frantic beating of her heart.

The hand around her wrist had disappeared once she stood on her own and she cradled her injured wrist to her chest as she breathed shakily, blinking through the tears that wanted to fall as the pain made her head swim. There was the unmistakable sound of Daniel’s body slumping to the floor and then a loud groan coming from him somewhere off to her left.

“Are you okay?” Bucky was suddenly asking her frantically, his hands smoothing over her shoulders and down her arms, checking for signs of injury.

She nodded, still feeling incredibly stunned by it all, the pain in her wrist now radiating up her forearm. She couldn’t bring herself to speak as she continued to push out pained breaths as Bucky checked her over. “Shit- _Percy_ -I-I think I broke your wrist,” Bucky breathed, shaking his head as he carefully drew it from its cradled position and examined it, turning it over very gently in his flesh and blood hand.

She winced and he swore under his breath in what she thought could be Russian. “It’s fine, James,” She said quietly, sounding so quiet and distant.

Her entire body slowly starting to numb as the adrenaline began to subside. She tried to pull her injured hand back to her chest so that she could cradle it and he let her. He shook his head in frustration, glancing down at the man on the floor, but then the balcony doors were being thrown open and out stepped Steve, Tony, Pepper, Natasha, Clint and a couple of security guards. 

“Someone saw one of the waiters harassing-“ Tony started breathlessly, but immediately cut himself short when he got a look at the scene before him.

He could see Percy’s pearls scattered around at their feet, the young woman still standing dangerously close to the stairs and the unconscious man laying at their feet as Bucky clearly tried to check if she was alright. Bucky’s face was pinched up, riddled with guilt and Percy still looked as if she were about two-seconds away from crying, the colour having drained from her face entirely.

“ _Jesus Christ_ -what happened?“ Steve nearly shouted, striding towards them with the rest of the group in tow. 

“I’m sorry-he, he was-“ Percy started haltingly, still breathing shakily. But she shook her head for a second as she tried to collect her thoughts. “His name’s Daniel Marchione…an…an ex-boyfriend of mine,” She said, a deep crease between her brows as she listened to the group coming towards them hastily.

“I knocked him out,” Bucky admitted, not sorry in the slightest. “He grabbed her necklace just as I stepped outside and she almost fell down the stairs,” He said with a glance over her shoulder at the thirty or some odd stone steps.

He grimaced and pulled her carefully away from them then, frowning deeply. “I managed to grab her before she fell, but I’m pretty sure I broke her wrist,” He said, shaking his head, his face clearly conveying nothing but worry and sincere apology. “I’m so sorry, Percy,” He apologized, shaking his head in frustration with himself.

She shook her head, tilting her face up towards him as she stared at him, unseeing. She still looked so in shock over it all. “It would have been a lot worse if I’d fallen, I’m sure,” She whispered.

“You can say that again,” Clint muttered, glancing over at the set of stairs. 

“I’ve just called for an ambulance, Percy. You want to sit down for a minute?” Pepper asked, watching as Steve and Tony both went towards her and seemed to be struggling with the urge to touch her and make sure that she was okay.

She shook her head a little, unaware of Steve and Tony’s predicament and still feeling Bucky’s worried flesh and blood hand caressing her bicep as she cradled her injured hand to her chest. “I’m fine,” She tried to deflect. “I’m so sorry about this,” She said apologetically.

“Don’t apologize, Percy. This was by no means your fault,” Steve said firmly from beside her.

She nodded, taking a shaky breath as she then shook her head. “And just for the record, Tony? _That’s_ what an asshole looks like,” She said in annoyance as she pointed towards the floor where Daniel lay with her good hand, still keeping her injured wrist against her chest.

Clint reached out to her and nudged her hand to point a few feet to her left and she nodded. “Thank you,” She huffed, taking a deep breath before she was holding her hand to her chest once again to cradle her injured wrist.

Bucky grimaced, watching as Tony motioned towards the two security guards. “Get the asshole out of here, please and thank you. I want charges laid and what did you say his last name was, Percy?” Tony asked her.

“Marchione,” She repeated with a slight frown, still in a daze. 

Tony nodded and glanced towards Natasha who already had her phone out and was clearly putting their new information to good use. The two security guards hefted the now slightly conscious man from his sprawled position on the floor and hauled him down the steps towards the side where their security office was to prevent any more of a scene.

Percy sighed, shaking her head in frustration. “I’m so sorry,” She started again and Bucky sighed deeply from beside her.

“Stop it, Percy. This wasn’t your fault,” He told her firmly, his hands moving to caress her bared arms.

She frowned, ducking her head and turning her head away from him. “If I hadn’t dated him in the first place, this never would have happened.”

Natasha frowned then. “It’s not always easy to pick out the assholes, Percy. I’m sure once you realized he fit into that category, you dropped him. So stop beating yourself up. The ambulance should be here shortly, let’s get you around to the front so we can take care of that wrist,” She insisted.

Percy nodded reluctantly before she was whispering under her breath, “Didn’t realize soon enough.”

Bucky’s frown only deepened from beside her, glancing over her shoulder to the security guards as they carried the man off. “Your pearls…” Steve whispered, still in shock over the whole thing as he bent to pick up a couple of them from the ground.

Percy’s brows pinched up and she closed her eyes as she fought to control the sudden tears that sprang to her eyes. “T-they weren’t real anyway. Don’t worry about it, Steve. Just bought them…because I liked the texture…and because they reminded me of my mum,” She barely managed to whisper.

Bucky brows pinched up and he reached out to brush away the tears that had started to fall. “Guess I’m not as strong and positive 24/7 as you guys always seem to believe,” She said wryly, opening her eyes and staring unseeing at him as he cupped the side of her face; his thumb still brushing away her tears.

Bucky’s frown only deepened at that and he shook his head adamantly. “Still the strongest person I’ve ever met, still undoubtedly the bravest,” He whispered.

She didn’t respond and now that he was so close, he realized that she was starting to look slightly dazed and paler than she aught to be. “Here, Percy. Take my jacket,” He offered, pulling his suit jacket off and draping it around her shoulders.

She didn’t protest and let him cover her. Bucky looked towards first a worried Steve and then an equally as worried Tony and swallowed hard. “Come on, Percy. Don’t make me carry you,” Bucky tried to tease.

Percy chuckled, but it sounded distant and strained. “Why? You sayin’ I’m fat?” She quipped back after a beat.

Bucky smiled nervously, shaking his head as he started to guide her towards another set of stairs that they could take around to the front of the hotel. “No, Percy. I ain’t callin’ you fat. I’d just prefer not to have you flash everyone while you’re wearing that pretty dress and it’s bound to happen if I carry you in it.”

She huffed, clearly amused and the others chuckled softly. Bucky relaxed a little as Steve came to her other side and they helped her walk down the stairs. Soon they had her sitting in the back of an ambulance while the paramedics took a look at her injured wrist.

“We’re going to give you something for the pain, Miss. Can you tell us how much alcohol you’ve consumed tonight?” The female paramedic asked her as she made the young woman comfortable.

Percy nodded, allowing herself to be laid down. “Yeah, just two glasses of white wine and a glass of champagne earlier in the evening.”

She could feel the other paramedic-a male-helping to stretch out her arm as he examined her wrist, but then he was bandaging it up against what felt like a splint. “That’s good, thank you. I’m just going to give you a needle, so deep breaths please,” The woman said to her.

Percy nodded, closing her eyes as she tried to relax. Bucky was standing at the back of the ambulance, both doors thrown open with Steve, Tony, Natasha, Pepper and Clint behind him. All were watching her worriedly as the paramedics administered something for the pain.

She felt a slight pin prick in her good arm and she winced slightly, but then the needle was being withdrawn and Percy took a deep breath as her entire body seemed to relax at once. “Wow-that’s… _what is that?_ ” She asked dreamily. “That’s great, whatever it is,” She said dopily, her body starting to feel as if she were floating; she couldn’t even feel the pain in her wrist anymore.

She heard a couple of snickers coming from somewhere close by and she smiled shyly. “Morphine,” The male paramedic announced with a slight chuckle. “And you’re right, definitely great, isn’t it?” 

She laughed and Bucky couldn’t help smiling as he watched Percy relax a bit more, clearly no longer feeling any discomfort. “We’re going to have to take her in and get proper x-rays done on her wrist. She’s got at least one fracture that we can tell, but she’s going to need to be fitted for a cast,“ The female paramedic told them, turning her attention to Bucky.

Percy pouted something fierce then. “A cast? But I feel great-doesn’t hurt at all,” She said, trying to sit back up as she attempted to move her arm to show them just how fine it really was.

“ _Percy_ ,” Bucky said worriedly, watching as the paramedics urged her to lay back down and keep her arm immobile. “You need to be looked at by a doctor. The medicine is what’s keeping it from hurting, sweetheart,“ Bucky tried to explain and Percy’s pout only intensified and _well shit_ , those were definitely tears in her eyes.

“But I don’t _want_ to go alone, James. Don’t make me go by myself,” She nearly whimpered, but then she was looking towards where she thought he was and giving him the biggest, roundest puppy dog eyes she could manage. “Will you come with me?” She asked, batting her eyelashes at him all pretty-like, her eyes glassy and brimming with tears.

Bucky groaned loudly, scrubbing his flesh and blood hand over his face as he nodded quickly. “How can you even give me that look?” He muttered with a huff. “ _God,_ your puppy dog eyes are worse than Steve’s,” He told her. “ _Of course_ I’m going to come with you, ya’ floozy,” He said teasingly, a bit of his Brooklyn drawl coming out.

Percy perked up, giving him a stupid grin before she thought to smother it and her big puppy dog eyes only seemed to widen in surprise. “ _Hey,_ you said I wasn’t a floozy,” She said back indignantly.

Bucky smirked, rolling his eyes fondly at the woman. “Yeah, yeah,” He muttered, chuckling as the male paramedic slipped out of the back and offered him his seat in the back of the ambulance.

“I ain’t a floozy, am I?” She said, sounding so young and so _so_ vulnerable in that moment. 

She turned her head towards him as he made himself comfortable next to her and he smiled, shaking his head. “Of course you ain’t, doll. I’m just being a tease,” He said with a warm chuckle, glancing over at Steve and Tony and the others as they crowded the end of the ambulance. 

They were smiling at the pair fondly and Bucky shook his head, turning his attention back to the young woman beside him. “Oh you’re a tease alright,” Percy said on a yawn, tears completely gone now. “With _all_ them muscles and the _staring_ and the _pet names,_ ” She said tiredly as she tried to turn onto her side and curl up, reaching up with her uninjured hand and rubbing her eyes.

Bucky grinned, reaching out and pulling her hand away from her eyes so she wouldn’t smudge her makeup. His cheeks flushed as he looked first to his lovers and then back to the female paramedic that was clearly smiling as she tried to not look at him and instead focus on keeping Percy still. He rolled his eyes, glancing back towards Steve and Tony, huffing out a breath.

“Yeah, well-“ He started, not sure what to say really. “Why don’t you all head back to the Tower and send a car to the hospital for us in a bit and I’ll get her home later tonight? Stevie, maybe you can grab Parker and bring him by in the morning and I’ll just camp out on her sofa tonight in case she needs anything,” Bucky suggested.

“Sure, Buck. We can do that, just let us know if you need anything,” Steve said, leaning into the ambulance a little as he reached for Percy’s good hand.

He raised her knuckles to his lips and gave her a gentle kiss. “Buck’s gonna’ look after you, Percy. You get some rest and feel better, okay?”

Percy nodded, yawning tiredly again. “Okay, Steve.”

He smiled and pulled away, letting Tony take his place. The genius raised her hand to his lips and gave her a kiss. “Get some rest, Percy. We’ll see you in the morning,” He murmured, casting Bucky a quick look.

She nodded, turning her head to the side as she took a couple of deep breaths. “Tonight was so lovely and I’m so thankful for having this opportunity and I’m so sorry it’s all been ruined by me. You guys are all being so _sweet_ and _concerned_ and it’s really lovely and I just feel like the world’s dumbest _floozy_ for ever liking that asshole in the first place,” She nearly whined, but Bucky interrupted her with a bark of surprised laughter.

“ _Percy!_ You ain’t no floozy! I was just teasin’!” He said amidst his exasperated laughter, shaking his head at her fondly.

Percy smiled shyly, opening her eyes as she turned her head up towards the sound of his voice. She scrunched up her nose as she regarded him. “I know, James,” She murmured, far more serious this time.

His gaze softened then and he reached out to brush some of her hair back behind her ear as he watched her relax, nearly dropping off into sleep right then. He glanced towards Steve as the blonde started to help close the doors and gave him a reassuring smile. 

Steve smiled in return and gave him a wink. Bucky sighed, closing his eyes as the doors were finally closed. He opened them a moment later when he felt Percy’s good hand brush against his chest. He grasped it carefully and held it gently, right above his heart as he looked down at the young woman who looked as if she was sleeping peacefully.


	8. Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of a warning; there's a discussion of Daniel and Percy's past relationship and it gets a little detailed. Nothing crazy, but there is mention of physical, emotional and verbal abuse. 
> 
> And on a side note, Nat takes care of it. ^_~ If you catch my meaning. Haha.

A little over three hours later, Bucky was helping her around the side of her home and up the back steps. “I can’t believe you,” Bucky muttered as he fiddled with the rocks at the side of the deck. “Hidin’ your spare key under a rock-what’d you do? Take a page out of the Steve Rogers handbook?” He muttered with a shake of his head.

Percy laughed tiredly as she rolled her eyes, waiting for him to find the spare key. He huffed and then he was by her side and unlocking the back door, key successfully in hand. They stepped inside and Percy walked easily towards her living room couch, listening to Bucky turning on lights and locking the door behind him. She yawned as she curled up on the couch, careful to keep her injured wrist that was now casted and resting in a sling, comfortably against her chest.

“Ugh, what time is it?” She sighed, reaching up and rubbing her tired eyes, forgetting she’d been wearing mascara.

She swore under her breath and sat up, trying her best to fix the definite smudge she’d caused. Bucky glanced at the clock on her stove and then towards her as she tried to fix her makeup. “It’s 3am, Percy. Don’t worry about your makeup, honestly,” He chuckled, coming over towards her.

She sighed deeply and sat back against the couch, listening as Bucky came over and knelt down in front of her on the carpeted living room floor. He smiled at her sadly and let himself look down at her injured wrist. He’d fractured it in two places and she’d no doubt be in a cast for at least 5 weeks while it healed. He hated himself for it, but kept trying to remind himself that it could have been a whole hell of a lot worse.

She shifted to rest her chin in the palm of her left hand as she leaned her elbow against her knee and Bucky was momentarily distracted as her dress shifted, the slit opening at the side and her gorgeously long legwas bared to him…and she was still wearing those damn heels.

“How are you still wearing these?” He muttered, letting the fingers of his flesh and blood hand trail along the side of her foot.

She chuckled softly and shrugged. “I suppose the pain meds are keeping me from feeling how numb my feet probably are at the moment.” 

Bucky laughed, shaking his head before he lifted her foot and helped her plant the heel against his chest. She laughed, her cheeks heating delightfully as he reached for the clasp at the side of her ankle and slowly undid it for her. Her laughter faded as he removed it from her foot, but when she went to pull her foot away from him, he held her ankle, keeping her in place.

She stilled, just waiting for him to let go and when he didn’t and instead let the tips of his fingers caress the no doubt sore arch of her foot, she let out a relieved sigh as he applied a bit of pressure. He chuckled under his breath. “They do hurt, I can tell,” He whispered before he was kneading the arch of her foot a bit more firmly.

Percy couldn’t help the soft moan from escaping her then and she chuckled, clearly embarrassed as her cheeks flushed. She sat up a bit more comfortably. “James,” She started. “You really don’t have to rub my feet.”

Bucky just chuckled before he was lowering that foot to the floor and then raising the other one, not really caring if she thought he didn’t need to do something like that for her. He removed the other heel with deft fingers and soon he managed to get another moan out of her as he started to rub that one.

He shook his head, the sound wreaking havoc on his insides and smiled up at her, drawing his lower lip between his teeth before he spoke. “I know I don’t have to rub them, but it feels good, doesn’t it?”

She groaned before letting out a sigh, clearly enjoying the attention. “Of course it feels good,” She told him before she slowly withdrew her foot and patted the couch next to her in invitation.

Bucky shook his head, his flesh and blood hand reaching out to take her good hand in his. “I’m comfortable here, Percy,” He whispered, raising her fingers to his lips.

Percy’s breath caught as she felt his lips press a kiss against her knuckles and she swallowed hard as she let herself just enjoy the feeling of his lips brushing against her skin. “I’m sorry I caused you pain,” Bucky murmured against her knuckles, his gaze flickering towards her injured wrist.

Percy’s heart clenched and she shook her head quickly. “Please stop apologizing. You were just trying to help me and you _did_ help me. It could have been a lot worse from what I gather.”

He nodded, lowering her hand from his lips, but didn’t move to release his grasp on her. They were quiet for a moment, both just breathing softly in the space between them, but then Bucky seemed to struggle with wanting to ask her something. She turned her head away from him as she felt him shift slightly and she knew he wanted to ask her.

“What did he say to you?” Bucky murmured, his eyes searching her features.

Her face pinched up then and she shook her head. “Nothing of note. He was being an asshole, that’s all,” She muttered angrily.

Bucky frowned deeply, giving her a weary sigh. She turned her head back towards him and tried to give him a smile, but Bucky’s grasp on her good hand tightened reflexively and she sighed. “What do you want to know about him?” She murmured after a moment more of silence had passed.

Bucky let out a reluctant sigh then. “I’m sorry, Percy. It’s really none of my business.”

She shrugged, turning her gaze away from him once more. “He was an asshole that took advantage of my blindness, my insecurities. I was weak and desperate, desperate to find someone who would love me so that I wouldn’t be alone anymore. He took advantage of me. Nothing you ever have to be sorry about,” She told him earnestly.

Bucky shook his head, face pinched. He didn’t like the way she’d said he’d taken advantage. “I’m still sorry, Percy. You never deserved that, not any of it,” He said sternly. “And you’re not weak, nor are you desperate. You’re strong, sweetheart. Strongest woman I’ve ever met,” He insisted.

Percy frowned, shaking her head. “I know I didn’t deserve it. But I was weak back then and desperate too. I’m different now, I know. He treated me well enough in the beginning, consoling me after my mom and dad passed, but then he became this other person.”

Bucky watched as her face pinched up as she recalled some no doubt painful memories and his grasp on her hand tightened the barest amount. “You don’t have to tell me, Percy. Not if you’re uncomfortable.”

She shrugged, a frown tugging at her lips. “I’ve never actually told anyone what happened other than the nurses and police. I didn’t have anyone close to left to tell.”

Bucky gently rubbed the back of her knuckles, watching her nervously. “Do you think you’d feel any better if you talked about it? I’d listen if it’d help, Percy. You know I’m always here for you,” He told her earnestly.

Her lips quirked, the beginnings of a smile as she nodded. “I do know that.”

Bucky kept his gaze focused intently on her, the way her lips moved as she spoke, the slightly pinched expression she still wore as she thought about what to say and he calmly caressed the back of her hand, just patiently waiting. She took a slightly shaky breath after a moment and dipped her head.

“He and I had been dating for a few months and then my mom and dad passed. Daniel and I moved in together because I couldn’t afford to live on my own at the time, even with my savings and the life insurance I’d received from my parents. So it was a new house for me and things were hard for me to find and get used to. I’d only ever lived with my parents before and that was my childhood home. I knew it like the back of my hand, so things were easy back then,” She told him.

“But when I moved in to this new house with him, I noticed he would get frustrated with me when I couldn’t find something fast enough. I was never fast enough. And then I noticed that things were _never_ where I’d left them. He was moving them on me _purposefully_ ,” She said shaking her head in frustration.

“Doing it on purpose so that I couldn’t find them and have to ask him. He’d tell me where it was in the most condescending manner and _of course_ it was always something that’d been in plain sight, but never where I’d recalled having left it. He wanted me to depend on him and then make me feel like shit for it,” She continued.

Bucky grimaced, not liking that one bit and if he was being honest, he didn’t care for her swearing in anger either. “That’s awful, Percy,” He whispered in sympathy.

She nodded reluctantly. “He started leaving things in my path too, a foot stool or a mug on the floor. Anything to see if he could make me stumble and it worked, I fell all the time,” She confessed.

Bucky squeezed her hand gently and she sighed. “He was emotionally and verbally abusive and it was only when he started to physically abuse me that I reached out for help,” She told him quietly.

“I’m so glad you got help,” Bucky murmured. “What he did was wrong, Percy. To hurt someone like that, someone so vulnerable,” He said, his voice wavering.

She nodded, brows drawing together even more as she turned her unseeing gaze back to him. She slipped one of her fingers free of his grasp and gently stroked over his flesh and blood knuckles as he continued to hold her. “I know, I really do. I just wish I’d gone to someone who would actually do something. I should have gone to the police, not our neighbour…” She said, her tone nothing but pure regret.

Bucky’s brows pinched up. “Why? What happened?”

She frowned then, her chin dropping towards the floor. “Our neighbour was out walking her dog one morning and I asked if I could walk with her for a bit. She was a nice girl, a couple years younger than me, I think. So she said sure and we walked for a bit. I’d talked to her lots before and she seemed like a trustworthy person. So when she asked me if I was doing okay, I just sort of broke down. I told her some of what Daniel was doing to me and she was so kind, so sympathetic towards me and she told me that I should try and talk to him about it and work things out.”

“I took the advice for what it was, an honest suggestion. I didn’t tell her of the severity of what he’d been doing to me, but even I knew this wasn’t an option at the time. But I thanked her for listening and trying to help anyway and she’d patted my shoulder and we’d gone our separate ways.” She took a deep breath then, shaking her head. “I was so _stupid-_ “ She muttered.

Bucky shook his head, not understanding. “What do you mean?”

She frowned deeply and turned her face away. “He was screwing around with her and she’d run right back to him to tell him what I’d said.”

“ _Jesus Christ-_ “ Bucky muttered. 

“He beat me so bad. He’d punched me black and blue on just about every part of my body. At least, that’s what the nurses told me. I’d had to go to the hospital when he’d _accidentally_ broken my ankle. He’d gone with me and tried to insist to the doctors and nurses that I’d fallen down a flight of stairs. I’d been absolutely terrified to say anything to the contrary,” She whispered.

“But there was this one doctor that just wasn’t buying his nice guy act and it was starting to get heated. And I just _lost it_ ,” She said, uncomfortable laughter escaping her. “I started crying, getting angry. I confessed _everything_ , told them everything he’d ever done to me and _thank God_ they’d had a police officer on standby because from what I gathered, he looked about two-seconds away from finishing the beating he’d started.”

Bucky’s face was absolutely stone cold, shuttered off as he looked at her. He no longer felt anger and frustration towards this guy, he felt pure _hatred_. He stood abruptly, dropping her hand as he started for the door. “James?” She said curiously. “Where are you going?”

Bucky took a shaky breath and turned to look at her, his gaze raking over her frame with a possessiveness he knew all too well. The thought of that bastard’s hands on her, hurting her, touching her in any way sent fresh waves of hatred and disgust racing down his spine. “I’m going to go scare the shit out of that asshole and _pray_ I don’t lose it and _accidentally_ kill him,” He muttered coldly, voice clearly laced with his hatred.

Percy immediately stood and walked towards the sound of his voice. “No, you’re not,“ She said calmly. “You’re going to stay right here with me and look after me tonight, James. I won’t have you wasting your time with a wretch like him,” She breathed, feeling the intensity of his gaze on her.

She didn’t know what it was exactly, but it was the same sort of feeling she’d gotten the evening before when Steve had spoken to her in a voice so unlike anything she’d ever heard from the man. When the blonde had told her not to shy away from a compliment, when she’d clearly deserved one. She thought her knees were going to give out and even now, she recognized the tone that laced Steve’s voice then, reflected in Bucky’s voice now.

“You’re going to stay with me and tell me instead about what his face looked like just before you punched him and then what his face looked like afterwards. Because _shit_ do I ever wish I could have seen it,” She breathed lowly, a bit of her own anger resurfacing.

Bucky shook his head, taking a shaky breath as he took a step closer towards her. “It was an ugly mug before I got there and an even uglier mug after,“ He admitted and Percy’s lips quirked as if she wanted to smile.

“Is that so?” She whispered. “I guess I really know how to pick ‘em.”

Bucky turned to fully look at her and he shook his head as a teasing smile threatened to tug at his lips. “You callin’ my mug ugly too?” He tried to tease, but his voice was still laced with something she couldn’t quite place.

She laughed despite herself and shook her head. “I didn’t say that. I honestly don’t know what your face looks like, sweetheart. I’ve never mapped it before, but from what I’ve felt of it, I’d say it was anything but ugly,” She told him earnestly.

Bucky blinked at her in confusion. “Mapped?”

She nodded, suddenly going a little shy as she tipped her head up towards him. “Yeah…my mum and dad sometimes…they’d let me just touch their faces, map out all the contours to remind myself of what they looked like. It’s a personal thing…so I’ve never asked you or anyone else to let me do it. I just…I wonder what the faces of my friends look like sometimes,” She admitted quietly.

Bucky blinked, anger and everything completely fading as he regarded her. She looked so shy, so young and vulnerable then and he wanted to wrap her up in his arms and hold her, kiss her and caress every inch of her. He wanted to protect her. He had to swallow past the awful lump that lodged itself in his throat as he reached for her uninjured hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Do you want to try mapping my face?” He asked quietly, feeling just as vulnerable in that moment as when he’d first met her all those months ago.

She nodded almost immediately, realizing belatedly that she probably came off as appearing way too eager. He couldn’t help smiling at her as he nodded and pulled her carefully over towards the sofa once again. This time as she sat down, he sat down beside her, turning his body to face her properly, folding one leg beneath him and keeping his other foot flat on the floor.

She shifted to mirror his position on the sofa and tried to make herself more comfortable. And as she took a deep breath, Bucky’s gaze was momentarily diverted to the entirety of her bared leg as it slipped free of the slit in her dress. He squeezed her hand gently in reassurance before he was tearing his gaze from her bared hip and meeting her unseeing gaze.

She was smiling at him nervously and blinking quickly as if she were really trying to see him then and he had to try and settle her nerves or he was going to start getting nervous as well. “Hey,” He whispered. “Just relax, okay?”

She nodded, closing her eyes as she took a deep steadying breath in an attempt to calm herself. He carefully raised her left hand then to his cheek and once there, he released his grasp on her. “I hope my ugly mug doesn’t scare you off,” He whispered, a teasing smirk tugging at his lips.

Percy couldn’t help laughing at that as she shook her head, timidly cupping the side of his face. “You don’t have an ugly mug, James. Your voice conveys nothing but the most sincere and loving tones, kind words and a wisdom I could never hope to possess. It’d be impossible for anyone with that kind of inner voice to be ugly. We’re all beautiful, there is truly no ugly…unless you’re Daniel or a truly awful human being,” She told him as more of an afterthought.

Bucky chuckled and nodded in understanding. “Bad people are ugly, gotcha.”

Percy smiled tenderly across at him, tilting her head as she regarded him. “Their hearts are ugly, their souls. Yours, most certainly, is not,” She murmured, letting her hand slip from his cheek to settle over his chest, right over his heart.

He smiled nervously, wondering if that were true. The fact that she thought that way about him made his heart swell and he forced himself to relax as she pressed the palm of her hand over his heart. He didn’t say anything more and simply inhaled steadily as she splayed her fingers wide for a moment over his dress shirt before she was skimming her hand up the side of his neck and cupping his cheek once again.

She inhaled shakily before she was leaning in a touch closer to him. “Close your eyes,” She instructed, fingertips slowly ghosting up against his cheek.

He took a steadying breath and let his eyes drift shut not a moment later as he folded his hands in his lap. She let the tips of her fingers ghost carefully up along his temple before she let her thumb trail down the centre of his forehead, her palm covering his eye as her fingertips trailed along the side of his face. She let herself feel his skin, the smoothness, the warmth practically radiating off of him.

He inhaled deeply as her thumb trailed down the centre of his nose and then felt along either side before trailing her thumb against the apple of his cheek and down a little lower. Her lips quirked as she felt his stubbled jaw and she let herself give him a bit of a scratch.

He couldn’t help chuckling softly, opening his eyes to gaze at her fondly. She was smiling shyly as she continued to stroke along his structured jaw line. “What colour is your hair?” She whispered.

“A dark brown…similar to yours, but not as shiny,” He murmured absently, too caught up in her beautiful eyes as they drew him in deeper.

She smiled softly at this before letting her fingertips move on, her thumb dragging down towards his chin. Her smile only grew when she let her thumb ghost over the little cleft she found there. “You’ve got a little dip here. Don’t they call those bum-chins?” She said teasingly.

He barked out a surprised laugh, pulling his face from her hand as he tried to stop laughing. She chuckled, shaking her head at the reaction she got and smiled brightly across at him. “Yeah, it’s a cleft chin, thank you very much. Not very prominent and my stubble usually hides it pretty well. But sure, Percy. For you, we’ll call it a bum-chin,” He said with a huff, still smirking adoringly at her.

She chuckled, her nose scrunching up adorably as she shook her head. “I’m only teasing, James,” She murmured.

He smiled, shaking his head before he leaned in again, her hand still hovering in front of his face. She cupped his cheek as he pressed into her waiting palm and she smiled warmly at him as she let her fingertips continue to explore along his chin.

She let her thumb bump against the corner of his lips and just like that, the playfulness that’d been there only seconds before was quickly being sucked from the room. She tentatively let her thumb trace the edge of his bottom lip, not really applying pressure or anything, just feeling the smoothness of it. 

Bucky was trying to keep still, keep his lips closed too, when all he really wanted to do was part them and take her pretty thumb between them- And he had to quickly cut that train of thought short before he turned this into something it wasn’t.

Percy’s breathing had increased in the space between them as her thumb continued to caress his lips and then she whispered, “Smile for me.”

Bucky was powerless to do anything else in that moment and gave her a warm, sincere smile as he gazed into her dark eyes. She smiled back beautifully as she let her thumb trail along the curve of his lips. She bit down on her lower lip as she tried to imagine what it looked like, but feeling it was quite wonderful in and of itself.

Bucky realized soon after that she’d started to tremble and he reached out to rest his metal hand against her thigh, unthinking. He just wanted to comfort her and in doing so, he’d pressed his cool metal hand against her bared thigh. She inhaled sharply, her cheeks flushing and he blinked in confusion before he realized what he’d done.

But instead of pulling away, he flexed his hand slightly against her, letting it rest against her heated skin. She was still shaking, the hand against his face trembling ever so slightly, but she didn’t move to pull away or ask him to move his hand; if anything, she leaned in closer. 

Her hand slowly shifted away from his lips then, her index and middle finger tracing up the bridge of his nose. She pressed the tips of her four fingers to his forehead, splaying them slightly as she whispered, “What colour are your eyes?”

He’d closed them when she’d caressed up his nose and he kept them closed for a moment longer as he replied, “Grey-blue.”

She smiled, letting her hand shift and now she was caressing along his cheek as she extended it further, covering his ear slightly as she ran her fingers through his hair. “Like the calm before a storm,” She murmured.

When she came into contact with the elastic holding his hair back in a bun, he ducked his head and she pulled it free. She let the elastic slip from her fingers and fall to the floor and he shook out his hair. Then she was reaching back towards him and he nearly groaned as her fingers slipped through his hair, just playing with his longer locks. She brought a few strands towards the front of his face, trying to gauge the length of it and she smiled when it ended just below his jaw line.

He sighed in content as she pushed it back behind his ear before running her fingers through it once again. “My mum used to be able to put me to sleep by just playing with my hair,” She confessed in nothing more than a whisper.

“’S why I kept it long,” Bucky murmured in response. “I like when Steve and Tony play with my hair…not Natasha though…she likes to braid it when I’m asleep,” He chuckled.

Percy smiled, a chuckle escaping her as well. But then she felt Bucky’s flesh and blood hand settling against her own cheek and she blinked in surprise, but didn’t draw away. “Your hair is so long, so lovely,” He whispered, his fingers moving to pull her own elastic free.

She dipped her head, letting him remove it and then smiled when he pulled it to settle over the front of her left shoulder. It ended just below her breasts, even with the front portion braided and he smiled warmly across at her. 

She had her eyes closed now, her hand having slipped from his hair and returned to cup his jaw. He shifted, his metal hand moving minutely against her bared thigh and she inhaled shakily, her hand slipping down to caress the side of his neck. Bucky swallowed hard and she felt the bob of his Adam’s apple against his throat.

She couldn’t help tracing her thumb against it briefly before her hand was slipping lower still, just caressing the side of his neck before letting her hand splay against the base of his throat. He didn’t dare speak as she let her hand slip along the collar of his shirt, her fingertips caressing the skin that was bared to her along the way. She was soon dragging her fingertips towards his left shoulder and he couldn’t help shudder when she pressed in just slightly to feel the join where his metal shoulder began.

“Does it hurt?” She whispered, her brows pinching as she listened to his breathing change.

He shook his head just the barest amount as he stared so openly at her. He felt so bared to her for a moment and he took a shaky breath. “No, Percy. It doesn’t hurt anymore. Tony altered the arm, so it’s better now,” He murmured. “Just aches sometimes…deep down.”

She nodded, still wearing that pinched expression and continued to let her hand caress over his shoulder, feeling down his metal bicep. He couldn’t feel it much, just the constant pressure changes as her caress dictated. He swallowed hard and she heard it, wondering if she was making him uncomfortable. But before she could voice her concern, he was taking her hand in his flesh and blood one and pressing a kiss to her open palm.

She inhaled sharply as he kissed her warm skin before she was dragging her thumb against his lips, feeling the slight wetness there. She realized he’d licked his lips and her breath left her at the thought of his tongue having been there only a moment before. Her cheeks flushed and then she felt him leaning in closer to her, his now warm metal hand grasping her thigh a little firmer. It felt like a brand against her already heated skin and she stifled the whimper that wanted to escape her.

But then he was whispering her name as he leaned in, his eyes drifting shut as he pressed a kiss to her lips. She gasped against him, her head absolutely swimming with conflicted emotions and desires and she couldn’t help herself; she wound her good hand into his hair and pulled him in closer as he kissed her.

He parted his lips, clearly wanting to deepen the kiss and she was only a second away from doing the same when she came to her senses and released him. She turned her head away, breaking their kiss and tried to calm her breathing, only the sound of her blood rushing in her ears audible to her. She was shaking something awful as she turned her head away from him, her breathing ragged in the quiet of the living room. 

“Y-you missed,” She said breathlessly, clearly trying to save him; maybe even save herself too if she could.

Bucky’s hand was still settled against her bared thigh and it flexed at her words. He reluctantly pulled back, his hand slipping from her thigh as his eyes searched her face. “Did I?” He whispered, his tone curious.

Her unseeing gaze snapped back to him and she nodded. “You did,” She breathed, brows pinched and a wounded expression crossing her face.

He nodded slowly and wanting to soothe her, reached up and tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear. “I missed,” He conceded, in way of appeasing her.

She nodded, gaze softening as she turned her head away, looking towards the hallway. “We should go to bed,” She said, but then realized what she’d said. “I-I mean-we should go to _sleep_ ,” She amended and he chuckled softly, placing a reassuring hand against her bared shoulder.

“I’ll take the couch, Percy,” He told her gently, hoping to try and calm her.

She nodded, her head tilting towards where his hand was settled against her shoulder. He could feel her warm breath against his skin and he watched as she bit her lower lip. “There’s blankets and pillows at the end of the hall in the linen closet. There’s also a guest bathroom just across from my room, so please help yourself to anything,” She told him as she went to stand, his hand slipping from her shoulder.

He nodded before he too was getting to his feet. “Thank you, Percy. I’ll be fine, don’t worry. You just get some sleep,” He told her quietly, watching as she started towards the hallway. 

He stopped her, however, when he recalled having her pain medication in his pocket. He pulled it out and swiftly grasped her good hand. “Wait, Percy. Your medicine,” He said softly, moving to press the small container into her waiting palm.

“Thank you, James. Thank you for taking care of me,” She whispered, looking up at him unseeing; her cheeks still stained that delightful crimson. 

“No need to thank me,” He murmured, watching as she slipped from his grasp, somewhat reluctantly.

She nodded, her cheeks still flushed and turned away from him, disappearing into her room down the hall not a moment later. Bucky took a deep breath then, scrubbing his metal hand over his face as he tried to bring himself down from whatever the hell he was feeling. He took several steadying breaths before he headed towards the bathroom to wash up before bed.

When he came out of the bathroom, he could see Percy’s bedroom door slightly ajar and he sidestepped it as he went towards the end of the hallway towards the linen closet. He pulled down a blanket and pillow and started back towards the living room, but he stopped short, however, when he saw movement just inside her bedroom door. So naturally, he shifted to get a better look.

The room was dark, just the light of the moon coming in through a small window at the opposite end and there was Percy standing at the side of her bed, a large four poster queen made of a dark mahogany…without a stitch of clothing on. She’d removed her sling, her gown, and no doubt half a roll of body tape from her skin as she’d readied herself for bed and now she stood completely naked, her back to the doorway.

She seemed to be oblivious to the fact that she’d left her door open a touch and he could do nothing but stare in open mouthed awe as he watched her undo the braid in her hair, humming quietly to herself. She shifted once she’d finished and pushed her hair over her shoulder as she leaned to turn down her comforter.

He admired the curve of her spine as she bent forwards, the way the muscles in her shoulders shifted as she moved…the way her lower back stretched out over her bed as she reached for the top of the comforter with her uninjured hand.

He inwardly groaned and hoped he hadn’t actually made a sound, terrified he’d be found out. But she merely stood back up and his gaze was drawn to the way the muscles in her buttocks shifted as she walked towards the head of the bed.

He was treated to a side profile of her body-her breasts drawing his attention and looking so soft and supple, her nipples slightly hard from the coolness of the air caressing her-for only the briefest of seconds before she stilled and cast a glance over her shoulder, her long hair shifting against her back.

He longed to run his fingers through it, caress her warm milky skin and lavish her with attention, love and praise and he wondered if he’d ever be lucky enough to do so. He swallowed thickly as she stared back over her shoulder at him and he wondered if she knew he was there. If she felt his presence or perhaps he had made a sound; however unlikely, it was still a possibility.

He’d once been called a ghost, but perhaps he was slipping. She inhaled deeply then, a soft smile tugging at her lips as she turned back towards her bed…and then she whispered, “Good night, James.”

Bucky’s head swam, blood pounding in his ears as he pulled himself away from her door and quickly but as silently as possible, made his way back into the living room. The second he was far enough away from her door, he exhaled shakily, having been holding his breath since she’d first looked over his shoulder towards him. He shook his head, his cheeks impossibly red as he sat down heavily on the sofa, still clutching the pillow and blanket he’d retrieved.

He closed his eyes once he’d managed to get himself under control and set the pillow and blanket down beside him on the couch. He fished out his phone and realized he had a text from Natasha. He frowned, brow creasing in confusion for a moment before he opened the message. His confusion promptly disappeared and he smirked, shaking his head at the text. It was a simple phrase and it brought a wave of relief over him. It simply read; _He’s been taken care of_.

He shook his head once more, wanting to send her a message to ask her what exactly that meant, but he figured he’d figure it out later. At least he didn’t have to worry about it for the time being, not if Natasha said she’d taken care of it. He smirked at the thought and bit his lower lip before he opened up a message to Tony instead. 

 

Bucky - _We’re in, safe and sound. She’s just gone to bed and on a side note, I think I fucked up_.

 

He took another steadying breath and within thirty-seconds, Tony was replying. _Thank God the man never sleeps_. He thought, shaking his head.

 

Tony - _What did you do?_

Bucky - _I’ll tell you in the morning. Think you can get here first thing?_

Tony - _Of course. You need me to bring anything?_

Bucky - _Just your charm_.

Bucky - _And maybe a chai latte for Percy._

Tony - _Sure thing Buckaroo. See you in the morning._

Bucky - _See you then, night. <3_

Tony - _Night._

 

He pocketed his phone, giving a weary sigh as he looked up at the ceiling and wondered how his life had turned out like this exactly.


	9. Nine

The next morning, Percy groaned as she turned onto her back, blinking away the sleep from her eyes. She winced when she tried to push herself up, realizing she had a damn cast around her wrist. She’d momentarily forgotten, having thought it’d perhaps been a dream and she sighed deeply when she realized it hadn’t. She frowned, sitting up and dragging her sheets along with her for a moment. 

She sat there for a beat, just listening to the sounds around her and trying to figure out if Bucky was still there with her. But then her eyes widened, recalling the later events of the evening and she blushed furiously at the memory of him kissing her. The way his lips had felt pressing against her own, the way his metal hand had felt against her leg, his other against her cheek.

She trembled, reaching up to caress her lips with her good hand and took a shaky breath. That’s when she realized she could hear humming coming from the kitchen and she swallowed hard at the thought of having to face him so early. Actually…she wasn’t even sure what time it was and she didn’t have her phone in the room to tell her. She let out a deep sigh, trying to push the confusing thoughts aside for the time being and will her blush to leave her before she slipped out of bed to get dressed.

She’d struggled for all of half a minute thinking about how she was going to do up a blouse with a casted hand and decided to hell with it and pulled on a t-shirt and leggings instead. Figuring zippers and buttons just weren’t going to be her friend for a while. She shook her head at the thought and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash up.

A few minutes later, she carefully ventured out into the hallway to see who was busying themselves in her kitchen. She was surprised when the humming she’d heard then turned to singing and she chuckled softly when she recognized the voice. “Morning, Tony,“ She greeted.

The genius turned then, laughing lightly as his singing stopped. “Percy,” He said in surprise. “I didn’t wake you with my lovely singing, did I?” 

Percy chuckled and shook her head. “No, I just woke up a few minutes ago. Is James still here?” She tried to ask as nonchalantly as possible.

Tony smirked, eyeing her curiously and when he took a moment longer to respond, she wondered if Bucky had said something to him about last night. She tried to take a steadying breath, but then he was moving on like nothing had happened. “Oh, he’s back at the Tower with Steve. Parker is with them, so don’t worry. I’ve come to get you,” He said casually.

She tilted her head curiously. “You’ve come to _get_ me?”

“Mhmm, you’re moving in with us while that wrist of yours heals. Where’s your sling? Bucky said you had one and it’s supposed to be in it for at _least_ the first week. And where’s your medicine? Have you taken any yet today?” He started bombarding her with questions.

Percy blinked, listening to him rather incredulously and Tony tried to keep the grin off his face as he observed her. “Uh…first off, what time is it? Because it’s _definitely_ too early to be dealing with your manic side, Tony. And second, no I haven’t taken my medicine yet…I’m an adult, I’ll take it when I want to. And the sling is…somewhere in my room,” She finished lamely, still looking in his general direction and feeling rather dumbfounded.

“It’s just past noon, Percy. You should take your medicine and here, I brought you a latte. I think it’s still warm,” He said cheerily, coming over and pressing the cup into her good hand.

She swallowed hard. “It’s past noon?” She asked, rather surprised.

“It is, now where’s your medicine?” Tony tried again.

She groaned, setting the latte down on her kitchen counter. “ _Tony,_ ” She said in exasperation, reaching out to try and grab him.

She succeeded in grasping his shoulder and she squeezed it lightly. “The first thing you said-“ She started. “I’m moving in with you? _No_ , I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Nervous laughter escaped her.

“Sure it is!” He exclaimed, grinning all the wider. 

“It isn’t,” She nearly whined. “I’m _comfortable_ here, Tony. I can take care of myself just fine here at home.”

“No, I’ve already discussed this with Steve and Bucky and they want you to move into the Tower while you’re healing up. We’ll check on your home lots, come take care of your garden for you too. Bruce loves to garden, I bet he’d be here in a heartbeat if you asked,” Tony went on.

She groaned loudly, shaking her head as she pulled away from him. “ _But, Tony-_ “

“No _but, Tony_ anything, Percy. The boys are busy tidying up back at the Tower and making sure the apartment is all ready for you. It’ll be great, we’ll all get to spend more time together, we’ll keep an eye on you while you heal, make sure there aren’t any complications…make sure you’re taking your medicine,” He said pointedly, a hint of teasing in his voice.

She scowled at him. “ _Tony_ , they’re _pain meds_. I only take them when I’m _in pain_ ,” She said irritably.

Tony glanced down at the cast around her wrist, biting his lower lip for a moment to keep the grin that wanted to plaster itself across his face in check. “ _And…_ are you in pain?”

She frowned, as if just thinking about this. Her lips parted as if to speak, but she thought better of it and snapped her mouth shut, scowling all the more at him for it. “See, you need someone to help you,” He went on, pleased that he'd been right but definitely not happy that she was in pain _at all_.

“ _No_ , I don’t,” She said quickly. “I’m just fine on my own,” She said stubbornly.

Tony rolled his eyes, huffing out a breath as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Is that so?” He asked, raising a challenging brow.

She frowned and he stepped away from her then. “Yes, Tony,” She said in frustration.

But Tony was _tsking_ as he went to her fridge, opening it wide. He smirked triumphantly when he pulled a jar from the door and came back towards her. “Then you wouldn’t mind opening this jar of pickles for me, would you?” He asked lowly, pressing it into her good hand.

She sighed, taking it from him and then had to do some shifting as she put it into the crook of her injured right arm and then tried to open it with her left. She’d always been a righty, but surely this couldn’t be that difficult.

_Wrong. So incredibly wrong._

She twisted the lid, but it didn’t budge and so she readjusted and tried again…and again… _and again_ … Tony resisted the urge to snicker when she clearly started to get frustrated, her cheeks heating adorably. “Do you need help with that?” He asked teasingly.

She glared at him. “ _No._ I don’t even _like_ pickles, anyway,” She muttered, shoving them towards him.

“Is that why you have three jars in your fridge and two empty ones in your recycle?” He teased, taking the jar from her.

She scowled at him, her glare only intensifying as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and then winced as she jostled her wrist and tried to cradle it. “They’re Parker’s, not mine. I can go five weeks without pickles,” She huffed in annoyance.

Tony sighed, popping open the jar as he watched her. She turned towards the unmistakable sound of the jar opening and looked to him hopefully. “Come here, you floozy,” He said teasingly, moving to look for a fork in of one of her kitchen drawers to spear a pickle for her. 

She chuckled, despite herself and shook her head as she strode towards one of the drawers beside the sink, opening it and pulling out a fork. Tony watcher her, a little surprised that she found it so quickly. She handed it to him and he speared a pickle for her before handing it back to her.

“So I can’t open a jar of pickles, big deal, but I still know where everything is here. Going to a new place is difficult. Trying to figure out where everything is, is so hard for me,” She told him with a deep sigh as she started to eat the pickle.

Tony let out a deep sigh of his own then. “I know, darling. Bucky said the same thing, but with Jarvis being in the apartment and being able to see you in the main rooms, he can definitely help. And the guys are labelling everything with braille and making sure to pick up stuff off the floor-mind you, Bucky’s the only one who ever leaves stuff lying around, but Steve’s been picking up after him all his life-so it’s really no trouble- _plus_ , we’d all be in the same apartment together, there’s a spare bedroom for you, your own bathroom, a huge living room, kitchen, a balcony too,” He continued to insist.

She groaned, scrubbing her good hand down her face as she huffed out a breath. “ _Tony,_ I don’t want to disrupt your personal lives. It’s your _home_ -“ She tried to insist.

“And we want you in it,” He told her sternly. “Stop being so stubborn and just let us take care of you, _please?_ ” He asked hopefully, giving her the biggest puppy dog eyes he could possibly manage, knowing that she most definitely couldn’t see them.

She pouted. “Are you making a face at me?” 

Tony tried to stifle a grin. “I wouldn’t have to if you weren’t making one at me.”

She rolled her eyes, sighing deeply as she reached out to him with her left hand. He smiled and took a step closer to her, grasping her hand gently in his before pressing her palm to his cheek. He’d seen her reach out like that to Steve and Bucky a couple of times now and he knew what she wanted and if he was truly being honest with himself, he’d always wondered what it would be like to have her hand against his own cheek.

She smiled tentatively at him and ran her thumb against his cheek before she cupped his jaw, feeling the facial hair beneath her palm. Her smile widened a little and she sighed as she reached up with her injured wrist and trailed the tips of the visible part of her fingers along his jaw. 

“I like your cast,” Tony murmured, his eyes having flicked towards the bright colour.

“It’s not pink, is it? I told James to pick a colour, but that it’d better not be pink,” She said warily.

“No, it’s not _pink_ ,” Tony chuckled, but before she could ask him what colour it was, he asked her, “So…will you move in with us?” Then cleared his throat as he added, “Temporarily?”

She huffed, removing her hands from his face as she nodded reluctantly. “Okay, Tony. But first? I want pancakes, so you’re going to help me make them and then you’re going to help me pack up my things.”

Tony beamed at her, quickly fishing out his phone and shooting off a text to Steve and Bucky. “Sure, darling,” He said happily and before long they had managed to whip up a batch of banana pancakes with real Maple syrup.

“You know-“ Tony started quietly, as he finished helping her load the dishwasher. “I wish I could know what it was like.”

“Hmm? Wish you knew what what was like?” She asked curiously, moving to push a couple of buttons on the dish washer to start it. 

Tony shook his head, having watched her move about the kitchen easily as she tidied up with him. “To be without sight…I can’t even imagine what that’s like. To have once been able to see and then have it suddenly taken from you…that’s-it can’t be easy, Percy,” He whispered.

She shrugged, trying to shy away from him as she finished putting some of the ingredients they’d used back in their proper places until next time. “It’s not…” She said quietly. “I think I remember colours and shapes and what some things are supposed to look like. But when you depend almost completely on touch and smell and taste…it’s easy to get it all mixed up. I’m not even sure I know what the colour blue is anymore, though I think I remember. It’s probably all wrong, but it _doesn’t matter_ -“ She said quickly, shaking her head; clearly afraid to let herself dwell on it for too long.

“It does matter, Percy. It matters to you, to get the colours right in your minds eye and I get that. At least, I think I do. Whatever you remember those colours as, that’s all that matters, sweetheart,” Tony insisted, taking a step towards her. 

She turned to him then and took a deep breath. “Thank you, Tony,” She said quietly.

He shook his head, frowning a bit. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Yes, you did. You-you said you wanted to know what it was like?” She asked timidly.

He nodded, studying her face as she looked to him unseeing. “Yeah,” Was all the managed.

She nodded before she was moving easily through her apartment and heading for the front hall closet. She pulled it open and rifled around for one of her scarves and once she had one in hand, she came back into the kitchen with a nervous smile on her face. 

“Do you want to play a little game?” She said uncertainly.

Tony smiled at her, taking the scarf from her as he nodded. “I think I do,” He said, already moving to roll the scarf up.

She smiled more easily as she listened to him struggle to tie up the makeshift blindfold over his eyes. “Make sure you can’t see anything,” She insisted.

“I can’t, I promise,” He assured.

She nodded, waiting until he was ready. He took a deep breath and shook his head to make sure it wasn’t going to fall down. “Okay, it’s on,” He said, already feeling uncomfortable without the use of his sight.

“Can’t see anything?” She asked.

“Can’t see a damn thing,” He muttered.

She couldn’t help chuckling before she nodded, taking a step away from him. “Just follow my voice for a bit then, Tony. Just listen, I promise I won’t steer you into anything or let you fall. I know my home well,” She told him quietly, taking a couple more steps back from him into the living room. 

He inhaled deeply as he took a tentative step towards the sound of her voice, knowing that she was just out of his reach. He couldn’t help raising his hands out in front of him though, in case he encountered any objects in his path. “O-okay, just don’t go too far,” He said nervously.

She smiled, reaching out to search for his no doubt outstretched hand. Sure enough, her hand bumped into his and she gave it a reassuring squeeze before she let him go. He tried to search for hers again as he took another step towards her, but couldn’t find it. She started humming softly under her breath and he smiled at the sound as he took another step.

“Where do you think I’m leading you?” She asked curiously, still humming as she waited for his response, slowly leading him away from the living room.

“Haven’t got a clue,” He muttered, not even sure where he was at the moment. 

“Think about how many steps you’ve taken and in which direction since we were in the kitchen. Can you figure out where you are?”

Tony shook his head, taking a shaky breath as he tried to squint through the layer of scarf over his eyes, but could honestly see nothing. “I don’t know,” He admitted with a sigh. 

She smiled softly. “That’s okay, but do you see how easily it is to get turned around?” She murmured and then she was coming around behind him and humming softly.

He turned sharply at the sudden sound of her voice now coming from behind him and he laughed. “You’re teasing me now.”

She chuckled, leading him along still with the sweet sound of her laughter. “It’s a game, I’m supposed to tease you. Come on, keep following my voice.”

He smiled nervously and continued, reaching out to see if he could touch anything. His hand made contact with a wall and he realized that that actually wasn’t helpful at all and promptly removed it. He tried to listen to the sounds around him, but he was too distracted by Percy’s soft humming.

He followed her a few more paces and then she stopped humming. He took another step towards where he'd heard her voice last, reaching out to her, but didn’t find her. “This is difficult,” He muttered. “Not only is it uncomfortable, but it’s disorienting. I have no idea where I am or where you’ve gone,” He admitted, taking a deep breath before he held it and simply tried to listen for her.

“I got it,” He said on a heavy exhale, suddenly getting an idea. “ _Marco,_ ” He singsonged. 

Percy laughed despite herself and he quickly turned towards the sound of her voice. “ _Tony_ ,” She said in exasperation, listening to the man take a couple of steps towards where she’d been hiding. 

“I believe the correct response is _Polo_ ,” He teased back with a grin.

She smirked, shaking her head at him as she took a couple more steps back from him and then made herself more comfortable. “Where are you…come on…laugh again for me, Percy dear,” He said teasingly, biting his lower lip.

He heard a car horn outside then and he snapped his head towards the sound, momentarily distracted. The makeshift blindfold slipped a bit and he went to push it back up, but then the knot at the back gave. He pouted, now holding the scarf in his hands as he looked around him and found himself standing in a bathroom…with Percy sitting up on the edge of the sink’s counter waiting for her to find him.

She was biting her lower lip, a bright smile on her face as she tried to keep quiet and he couldn’t help grinning at the sight of her. He shook his head, taking a tentative step towards her, she still oblivious to the fact that he’d lost his blindfold.

“Come on, sweetheart…laugh for me. Your laugher always makes me smile,” He teased and she couldn’t help laughing, shaking her head at him.

“You’re ridiculous, Tony. Stop it, that’s cheating,” She huffed.

He smirked, taking another step closer towards her. “Stay where you are for a second, Tony. Tell me, do you think you know where you are? Can you guess by just listening?” She asked him curiously.

He sighed, pretending to play the part and think about it as he took another careful step towards her. “Hmm, I dunno. Maybe it’s a closet? Did you bring me into your bedroom closet, Percy?” He asked teasingly.

She laughed, shaking her head. “ _No._ ”

He smiled even brighter as he stepped right up to her and planted both of his hands on either side of her hips against the counter top. She sat up a little straighter, surprised at the sudden closeness of his voice when he next spoke. “We’re in your bathroom, aren’t we?” He asked lowly.

Her eyes widened in surprise, but then they were narrowing suspiciously. “You don’t have your blindfold on, do you?” She asked knowingly.

Tony grinned widely at her and shook his head. “It fell off a minute ago,” He admitted, chuckling under his breath.

She laughed, shaking her head as she went to push him with her good hand, but he caught her wrist and held it out in front of her, his thumb stroking over the pulse point absently as she stilled in his grasp. “ _You cheated_ -“ She breathed, disappointment colouring her voice. 

“Only a little,” He conceded, his gaze flickering down towards her lips.

They looked so soft, so warm and pink and he wanted to know what they tasted like. Bucky had told him not even ten-seconds after he’d walked in the door that morning that he’d kissed her the night before. He’d said her lips had been so soft, felt so warm and he’d wanted to devour her in that moment. He’d also told him that she’d accused him of _missing_ and Bucky had had to reluctantly agree and Tony hadn’t been able to forget that little piece of information.

“Tony?” She asked quietly, wondering what he was thinking, maybe why he’d suddenly stopped speaking to her and continued to caress her wrist absently as he held it.

He swallowed past the lump in his throat and leaned in closer to her, listening to her sharper inhale. He let his gaze flick down to watch the steady rise and fall of her chest beneath her maroon t-shirt and couldn’t help himself as he breathed in slowly, just letting the smell of her fill his senses. He could still smell the perfume she’d worn from the night before lingering in her hair and he closed his eyes for the briefest of moments before looking back up into deep brown orbs.

She was trembling ever so slightly as he leaned in just that much more and murmured so close to her lips. “How are you so beautiful?” He breathed, his lips just barely caressing hers.

She gasped, just as he was about to press his lips against her for real this time and she quickly turned her head away from him, her face flushed as his lips pressed against her heated cheek instead. But before either could say anything, they heard the front door opening and Steve’s happy voice coming from the foyer.

“ _Hello!_ ” He called cheerily.

Percy quickly righted herself and tried to hop down from the counter at the sound of his voice and she tried to shy away as she went out into her bedroom. Tony followed her quietly, watching as she went to the door. “We’re in here! Tony was just going to help me pack a few things,” She started nervously.

“Oh! I’ll be right there to help!” Steve called out to her as he kicked off his shoes at the door.

She took a deep breath and nodded and as she went towards her closet to pull out a duffel bag, she heard Tony whisper, “I’m sorry I missed.”

She stilled, kneeling down in front of her opened closet as she stared unseeing therein. She could hear the smile in his voice and she swallowed hard as she realized that Bucky must have said something to him about the night before. Because there was just _no way_ he could say something to that effect without having known. What was worse, however, was the fact that he had admitted that he’d missed, her cheek obviously not having been the intended target for his kiss and that he was _sorry_ about it?

Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as she struggled to just focus on the task at hand and the fact that she’d be living with them; all _three_ of them, for the foreseeable future. But then Steve popped into the room and greeted them both cheerily for all of a second before he started asking questions.

Like; _Where’s your sling? Why aren’t you wearing your sling, Percy? You know what the doctor said, Bucky told me. And where’s your medicine? Have you taken your medicine yet? You know if you’re in pain you should be taking it. Have you eaten yet today? Have you had lots of water? Here, let me help you with that. You should be resting, Percy. See, this is why we want you to come stay with us so we can look after you, so we can take care of you-_ And so on and so forth.

And thus, two hours later, she was safely inside of Stark Tower with her belongings all stowed away in their proper places in her new room that she’d learned was right down the hall from the room Steve, Bucky and Tony-whenever the genius actually managed to get there-was and wasn’t that a bit of irony?

She inwardly groaned at the idea of the three of them sharing a room in the same apartment as her and she put on a happy face and nodded along, letting them explain the layout and showing her around and explaining the things they’d put braille on for her to be able to identify.

Meanwhile, she felt like she was falling apart inside as she thought about the three sharing a room together and her being in their space and then she started thinking about them sharing not just a room together, but a _bed_ and that led to other more inappropriate thoughts and then she wondered if any of them were loud in bed and whether or not she might accidentally over hear them sometime and that led to her feeling uncomfortable and more than a little flushed, which had prompted Steve to sit her down on one of the sofas in the living room and get her some water, make her some tea and bring her some toast and then cookies and then Bucky was bringing her chocolate and Tony was fluffing up a pillow behind her back and draping a blanket over her…

And really, it was all just too much and when Steve insisted she take one of her pain pills, thinking that the pain was perhaps making her feel unwell. She hadn’t put up a fight and had simply taken one with a sip of water and promptly passed out on the couch from all the excitement. And her last fleeting thought before she’d fallen asleep had been somewhere along the lines of; _how did this become my life?_


	10. Ten

Nearly a week a later… 

“Hi, Percy!” Clint greeted cheerily, striding from the elevator into the guy’s apartment. “ _Oh-_ “ He said suddenly. “I like your pink cast.”

Percy groaned loudly, shooting a very unimpressed look over at Bucky who sat next to her on the sofa, her legs resting over his thighs as they ate their Chinese food out of take away containers. “I said _not_ to get pink,” She whined in annoyance. 

He grinned, shovelling another bite of chow-mien into his mouth. “It’s not pink…it’s _hot_ -pink,” He mumbled in between bites of his dinner.

Clint chuckled and came over, planting himself down in one of the recliners as he looked at the assortment of take-away containers strewn about on the coffee table, the TV playing an old episode of _I_ _Love Lucy_ ; the one where they worked in the chocolate factory.

“ _Well_ , don’t this look like a scene of domestic bliss,” Clint teased, reaching for a pair of chopsticks and a container for himself.

Bucky barked out a laugh and Percy’s cheeks heated as she rolled her eyes. “So, where’s Cap and Science Boy number 1?” Clint asked curiously, already digging in to his share. 

“Steve’s out walking Parker and I think Tony’s in his lab?” Percy told him, turning to Bucky for confirmation.

“Tony said he needed a few more hours to finish his suit repair from that last run in with the Doombots. Wasn’t particularly happy with the way his repulsors had responded or something. I don’t know, it’s all gibberish to me,” Bucky sighed.

“Hasn’t be been working on it since this morning? He wasn’t at breakfast,” She said worriedly, a slight frown tugging at her lips.

Bucky sighed and nodded. “He gets like this sometimes. He’ll spend hours in his lab working on his armour or our weapons, insisting that he can make them better. He means well, but sometimes he doesn’t take care of himself when he gets like this. Steve will go down later with some food for him and at least get him to take a break. But when Tony says he needs a few more hours, he really means at least a day…he loses track of time down there.” 

Percy frowned, looking away thoughtfully as she let herself think about that for just a moment. But then Steve, Natasha and Parker were stepping off the elevator into the apartment and greeting them warmly, the red-head having decided to join Steve on his walk.

After a while, Bucky, Clint and Natasha disappeared to go over plans for an upcoming recon mission, while Steve went and brought Tony down some dinner, leaving Percy to relax in the quiet of the apartment. She’d been there for a few days now and she’d learned a lot about the Team and the way they seemed to fit together, always teasing each other, looking out for one another and just genuinely enjoying one another’s company.

She liked being around them all and though she knew she was only going to be here for a short while, she couldn’t help feel sad at the thought of having to leave them in a few weeks time. Her arm was now out of the sling, her having insisted that she could do without it. They’d had to reluctantly step back on that, so long as she would promise to take her pain meds if she needed them.

She also realized that being around them clearly wasn’t helping her crush on the three lovers. Not only did she interact with them on a daily basis, thanks to them sharing the same apartment. She was also forced to partake in exactly what Clint had said; _domestic bliss_. 

She spent time listening to the television while Bucky or Steve watched TV. She talked to them over dinner, they even _made_ her dinner, lunch and breakfast too most of the time. They went for walks with Parker together, spent time in the gym together. She was spending so much time with them, that she sometimes forgot that they weren’t actually all together, er, like _that_. Everything just sort of fit for her when it came to them.

They were so attentive, so loving and caring and she wished she could be a part of that. She wished she could have that. But it was just a fairytale and fairytales weren’t real. Something she had to continue to remind herself of, even if she sometimes wondered what some of their comments meant. What some of their throwaway remarks meant.

She’d been so surprised that first time Bucky had walked her home, the way he’d said she’d missed and even earlier that same day, when he’d said that Steve wouldn’t have minded if she had meant to miss in that very first accidental kiss.

She also thought back to the very much _not_ accidental kiss on her sofa in her living room just a few days ago between her and Bucky and she bit her lower lip hard when she recalled the morning with Tony having said something to the effect of _apologizing_ for his miss when he’d most definitely tried to kiss her.

It was definitely more than enough to drive her crazy. She shook her head just thinking about it all. It was really starting to confuse the hell out of her. _Do they like me like that? As more than a friend?_ She wondered, not for the first time that day. She sighed, sitting in the quiet of the apartment with Parker at her feet and he looked up at her curiously as she reached down and patted the top of his head. 

“I think I’ll make some tea,” She said. “How’s that sound, boo?”

He whined softly and she smiled, getting up from her spot on the sofa and carefully making her way towards the kitchen. She’d had to map out the apartment as best she could over the first few days in the Tower and she thought she’d done a pretty good job of it come the end of the week. The kitchen was still a bit overwhelming though, not being able to quite remember where everything was exactly.

So long as she brought her patience along with her, she could usually find what she was looking for if one of the Team wasn’t around to help her out; like now. She hummed softly to herself as she let her handssearch for the kettle. She found it easily enough and lifted it, checking to make sure there was enough water for a cup of tea. She flicked it on and then went towards the fridge, looking for the drawer right next to it where Steve had said the tea was.

She bit her lower lip as she pulled open the first drawer and then reached inside. Her fingertips slipped over what felt like a neatly assorted drawer full of little packets of tea and she picked one up, just holding it in her fingers as she wondered how she was going to tell what kind it was. She raised it to her nose, just inhaling, trying to see if she could figure it out.

When she smelled peppermint, she grimaced and set it back in the drawer before pulling out another. This time is smelt like lemon and maybe chamomile? She put that one back and then lifted another and another before she found one that smelt like berries, a fruit tea perhaps? She held it in her good hand and closed the drawer with her hip before going back towards the kettle and putting the packet on the counter.

“Now where are the mugs?” She whispered and was surprised when Jarvis answered her. 

“Would you like my assistance, Miss Matthews?” The AI asked.

She jumped and let out a nervous huff of laughter. “ _Oh_ , Jarvis. You startled me, no no. I can find them on my own,” She insisted; stubborn as ever.

“As you wish,” Jarvis intoned.

She nodded and started to open the cupboards, letting her good hand skate over first plates, then bowls, then glasses…then boxes of what she thought could be cereal…then cans of food… She was starting to become agitated and she forced herself to take a deep breath when she couldn’t remember which cupboard they were in. 

She frowned, her chest tightening as she forced herself not to give in and ask Jarvis or worse, start to panic. She could do this. She pulled open one more cupboard and pretty well whimpered when she found what felt like bags of chips, but no mugs and panic swept over her.

“Percy?” Steve’s voice suddenly murmured from behind her; all concern and worry.

“ _Steve_ ,” She said, a slight sob catching in her throat. “I can’t find the mugs,” She said brokenly.

Steve frowned deeply, striding towards her as he watched as she fought not to cry. “ _Hey_ , it’s okay, Percy. Don’t worry about it. _Here_ , they’re here,” He told her, taking her hand and leading her towards one of the cupboards she’d somehow missed.

He opened it for her and she reached in and wrapped her hand tentatively around one of the mugs before cradling it tightly to her chest. “T-thank you, I’m sorry. I was getting frustrated and I feel like such an _idiot_. Jarvis asked if I wanted help and I was being stubborn and thought I could do it on my own,” She started to ramble, her heart rate speeding up a bit.

But then Steve was pressing both of his calloused hands on either side of her face, just gently cupping her cheeks in reassurance as he leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. “Deep breaths, Percy. It’s fine, _honest_. Just relax a moment and I’ll get your tea for you,” He assured, still just carefully holding her face in his hands as he watched her.

She took a couple of deep, albeit, slightly shaky breaths and then she was nodding and raising the mug towards him in offering. He released one side of her face and calmly took it from her, setting it down on the counter beside them. “There you go, you alright?” He asked softly, still cradling her cheek in his palm.

She nodded, blinking big watery doe eyes up at him. “Thank you. I’m sorry I’m such a mess. I was just thinking about stuff and getting myself all worked up and so I wanted to make tea to cheer myself up and then I couldn’t even do that without _panicking_ -“ She started to ramble again and Steve had to calm her once more, a gentle smile tugging at his lips.

He shook his head, chuckling softly as he caressed her cheek and then let his hand slip down to cup the side of her neck. “ _Percy,_ deep breaths, relax. _You’re fine_ ,” He tried to insist in an attempt to calm her.

She nodded, taking a deep breath and then blowing it out slowly. He smiled at her in sympathy before he was rubbing his thumb lightly against the pulse beat in her neck. She swallowed hard and his gaze flickered down to the way her throat bobbed slightly and then flickered back up towards her eyes.

She was looking at him with such wide pleading eyes and she looked so young and vulnerable in that moment. He shook his head, his gaze straying towards her lips, wondering what they would taste like. He’d felt them once before, just a brush against the corner of his mouth…but he’d wondered what it would feel like to press his lips to hers and taste her in earnest.

He swallowed hard at the thought, thinking back to what Bucky had told him about the night on her sofa, how he’d been unable to stop himself from kissing her…how later, Tony had tried to kiss her… He wished he could gather up enough of his own courage to just tell her how he felt about her. Maybe if he came clean, Bucky and Tony would do the same and they’d be able to stop dancing around her like this.

But they weren’t sure, they weren’t _100% sure_ that she liked them that way. She was supposed to be their friend and friends didn’t think about their friends that way, _right?_ Except Steve did. He’d been close with Bucky growing up and he’d felt more than just a brotherly love for him come the time he was fifteen, maybe even before that now that he actually thought about it. 

And his love for Tony had been an attraction from the start. They said they’d hated each other for the first month or so of their acquaintance, but it hadn’t really been hate. They’d butted heads, sure. But when they finally got their heads out of their asses and actually had a civil conversation that hadn’t resulted in any property damage, they realized that they quite liked each other.

They’d been friends for months after that and it slowly but surely progressed into something more when they’d admitted to both apparently dealing with the same bloody problem; thinking of your friend as more than a friend. And then Bucky had come back and wasn’t that an interesting conversation once the soldier’s memories had returned to him and he’d realized that they used to be lovers and now his partner was with someone new?

It’d been an interesting conversation when that’d all come about. But they got through it and through it all, one thing had been very apparent to Steve. He loved his friends, treated them like gold and if you opened yourself up enough to him, he’d probably end up falling in love with you in some way, shape or form. Because his heart was just too big to only love one person. He loved his Team as well, but it was a different sort of love. Although they were his friends, he never felt any desire to be with them intimately. Give himself fully to them in any way they asked? Give himself to them in battle and friendship? Of course. He’d go to the ends of the Earth and then some for any of them if necessary.

But with _Percy?_ He not only wanted to do all that and then some. He wanted to kiss her, he wanted to hold her, whisper in her ear as they fell into bed together and he confessed his undying love for her. He wanted to curl up on the couch with her as she let him draw her in the afternoon sunshine. He wanted to make tea for her, feed her chocolates, cook dinner for her and tell her over and over again how incredible she is and hear her laughter filling every nook and cranny of their home.

He also wanted to make her cry out in ecstasy as he licked into her body and made her _writhe_ beneath him while Tony and Bucky watched. He blinked at the sudden flare of arousal in his belly and his cheeks heated when he realized he was still caressing the side of her neck as she looked up at him quietly, still taking those deep breaths.

His lips twitched, realizing he’d probably been staring at her for far too long and he smiled nervously as he let his hand slip from her neck. He was surprised when she managed to catch his wrist, however, and brought his hand to her chest, cradling it against her breast. His cheeks heated even more so at the soft press of her against the back of his hand and he watched as she held it in both of her hands; somewhat.

The bright pink cast was striking against her white t-shirt and he smiled nervously as she cradled his hand. “Thank you for being such a wonderful friend, Steve,” She whispered, sounding so small and shy.

Steve suddenly felt as if he’d been sucker-punched and he was thankful she couldn’t see his face for that split second as his expression fell. “Not something you have to say thank you for, Percy,” He murmured back, feeling like the world’s worst friend in that moment.

Her lips quirked slightly, but then she was reaching up to him with her good hand, his still pressed to her chest and he let himself be pulled down towards her, now only a couple of inches between their faces. She blinked a couple of times before she was leaning up on her tippy-toes and tentatively brushing her lips against his in a timid kiss. 

His breath caught as he let himself be kissed by this wonderful woman, his thoughts scattering and body heating as she kissed him and just like that, it was over. He almost groaned at the chasteness of it as she let go of his hand and the side of his neck and then she was turning towards the counter. He watched with wide eyes as she opened her packet of tea and placed it in the mug, lifting the kettle just as it dinged to fill it. 

He swallowed hard and watched as the corner of her lips curved up into a tentative smile. “Sorry I missed last time,” She said in nothing more than a whisper. 

He blinked at her in disbelief and before he could actually bring himself to say something, to confess to her, to do _something_ other than _stare in open mouthed_ ** _shock_** at the woman, she was offering to make him tea. Because there was just no way he heard her say what he thought she said and yet…he had the most acute hearing out of everyone he knew. 

Percy was shaking as she reached for a second mug, now knowing where they were as she moved to the drawer of tea. “Come pick a tea, Steve,” She said, her voice soft and filled with something he couldn’t quite put his finger one.

He nodded, whispering _sure_ before he moved to her side to choose a tea for himself, casting a curious look her way as she went about as if nothing had happened between them. Maybe it hadn’t and he only wished it had. But that gentle press of lips had been real…it must have been. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and be a person; be a _friend._

Percy was disappointed her kiss hadn’t sparked him to say something, maybe open up to her about whatever the hell was going on between them or something. But he’d gone rather quiet for a minute or two and then they’d moved on to other things, neither of them apparently wanting to broach the subject first. She figured that was either a very good or a very bad sign…which really was of no help to her at all for the moment.

 

Later that night Percy awoke with a start, gasping out in the quiet of her bedroom as she sat bolt upright in bed in a cold sweat as she scrambled to get out from under her blankets. She was gasping for air as she climbed out of bed and tripped over Parker who had gotten up when he’d heard her wake. She fell onto her hands and knees and Parker whined loudly.

“S-sorry, Parker-“ She gasped, hearing him whine. 

She tried to soothe him as he got up and she found herself kneeling beside him as she hugged him to her tightly. “Jarvis?” She asked shakily.

“Yes, Miss Matthews. How may I be of assistance?” The AI asked her.

“I-is there anyone awake right now? A-are the boys all asleep?” She asked nervously, realizing her hands were shaking; her entire body was, really.

“Mr. Stark is awake, but I am afraid the rest of the Team is sleeping. Would you like me to get him for you?” Jarvis asked her.

“N-no-” She said quickly, blinking hard as she fought the tears that wanted to fall. “I just…do you think it’d be okay if I went to him?”

“Of course, Miss Matthews. He is in his lab, I can bring you down there as soon as you are ready,” He told her.

She nodded, getting to her feet on unsteady legs as she made her way out of her bedroom and into the living room with Parker padding along beside her. She was clad in only a tank-top and sleep pants, but her state of dress was the farthest thing from her mind as she made her way with Parker towards the elevator.

As soon as the doors closed, Jarvis took the elevator down the thirty or so floors to the genius’ lab. She was shaking something fierce as the doors opened and she hesitantly stepped out of it, not knowing the layout of this floor in the slightest. She’d never been to his lab before. 

“Miss, please mind your step. There is a railing to your left that will take you down ten steps and then you will be able to take a right, right into Mr. Stark’s lab. I’ll open the door for you…just mind your ears,” He warned her.

She nodded, taking a tentative step forwards as she reached out and felt along for the railing. She grasped it firmly and started walking down the steps, counting each one until she reached the bottom. She heard a door open to her right and she winced as the sound of very loud rock music reached her ears. 

She could hear Tony singing along with the music somewhere nearby as she made her way into his lab, walking gingerly forwards in case she happened to stumble across anything. “J-jarvis, could you lower the music?” She asked timidly.

The AI didn’t reply, but the music dropped considerably in volume a moment later. “Tony?” She asked nervously, when the genius’ voice ceased its lovely singing.

“ _Percy?_ ” Came his surprised response.

“I-I’m sorry, Tony. I-I had a bad dream, I couldn’t-I didn’t want to be alone,” She confessed, striding towards him, uncaring if there was anything in her path.

“ _Hey-_ “ He said worriedly, getting up from his stool and meeting her halfway. “It’s okay- _Jesus_ -you’re shaking like a leaf,” He said worriedly, grasping her by the shoulders and pulling her along to the sofa at the edge of his lab.

She was shaking terribly as he sat her down, grabbing one of the blankets Steve had brought down from the back of the couch and draping it around her shoulders. The young woman pressed in closer to him as he reached around her to pull the blanket over her and he couldn’t keep the surprise from his face as she hugged him, slipping her arms around his middle.

“I-I’m sorry, Tony,” She breathed against his neck, taking a shaky breath against his slightly sweaty skin.

“Hey, don’t apologize. You’re okay, _we’re_ okay. We’re here and awake and Parker’s here,” He tried to console, not really sure what to say to help comfort her.

She nodded, suddenly reaching out for Parker and the pup whined as he put his paw up on her thigh. She patted the top of his head in reassurance, scratching lightly behind his ears and she visibly relaxed. Tony pulled back as she let him go and looked her over. She was still shaking, but she appeared to have calmed some. He could see a light sheen of sweat covering her forehead and down her throat though and he worried she might catch a chill.

“You said you had a bad dream?” He asked her quietly, fixing the blanket around her shoulders.

She nodded, sitting back a bit more to turn her head towards him. “Yeah,” She whispered, wrapping her arms about herself, mindful of her cast.

He nodded nervously. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She frowned, shrugging as she turned her head away from him, feeling uncomfortable. “It was…it was about the accident,” She whispered. “The car crash that killed my parents.”

“ _Oh,_ ” Tony said on a rush of air, brows pinching up in concern. “I’m sorry, Percy…I can…I’m sorry, that’s-that’s terrible.”

She nodded, reaching out for his hand then and he gave it to her, just squeezing hers back in reassurance. “It’s just…it’s an awful thing to think about, to picture it happening. I was told what happened by the officers who came to give me the news and I feel like I can picture it all in my head and it’s just so _terrifying_ to think about them dying like that,” She breathed, gasping at the end as she fought back tears.

Tony nodded, reaching up with his free hand to caress her shoulder. “I know, sweetheart. Believe me, I do,” He consoled.

She nodded, squeezing his hand tighter. “I know, Tony.”

He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles firmly, taking a slow breath as he studied her features. “The nightmare is bad enough,” She admitted. “But when I wake up…” She shook her head.

Tony frowned. “Remembering it can be too much, I get it.”

“It is, of course it is. But that’s not what makes me panic,” She confessed, turning her gaze towards him.

Tony looked to her curiously, not understanding. “What do you mean?”

She took a deep breath, blinking quickly as she looked to him unseeing. “What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare?” She whispered, sounding incredibly pained.

Tony’s brows pinched as he thought about that and not a moment later, his breath left him as realization dawned on him. “ _Turn on the lights-_ “ He breathed.

She nodded, wearing her own pinched expression, looking so vulnerable and young in that moment. “Turn on the lights,” She repeated.

“Oh, _Percy_ ,” He murmured. “I’m sorry, I am so _so_ sorry.”

She was trembling even more so again as he couldn’t stop himself from wrapping his arms around her and drawing her practically into his lap. She breathed in shakily as he held her and she shut her eyes as sheclutched weakly at the front of his shirt, inhaling his scent and frowning deeply all of a sudden.

“ _Tony_ -“ She said as she drew back slightly. “You _stink._ ”

The surprised bark of laughter that escaped him made her smile nervously and he drew away a bit. “I’m sorry, Percy. I’ve been busy all day here in the lab. I’m covered in oil and grease and who knows what else. Ugh, sorry, but I got some on your shirt,” He apologized.

She laughed nervously then, shaking her head. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it.”

Tony smiled, shaking his head at her as he sighed. “What’s kept you down here all day and night?” She asked quietly after a beat.

He shrugged a bit, glancing over towards the gauntlets he’d been upgrading and sighing deeply. “Just upgrades…more and more upgrades.”

She nodded, reaching out to him and grasping the genius’ knee gently. She squeezed him lightly. “Have you slept at all since yesterday?”

“Uh,” Tony muttered, reaching up and scratching the back of his head. 

She rolled her eyes. “You should get some rest, Tony. I’m pretty sure it’s really late.”

Tony glanced towards the clock on the wall and grimaced. “It’s 2am…yeah, _sleep_. That sounds like it should be important.”

“It is,” Percy told him firmly, giving his knee yet another squeeze.

He sighed, looking to her quietly for a beat. He couldn’t help just looking at her as she started to relax beside him. She looked worried and still a bit shaken and he let out an even deeper sigh, hoping it sounded very put upon. Her lips quirked, the beginnings of a smile as she listened to him. “I guess I could take a nap,” He said in exasperation.

Percy laughed lightly, pushing his knee as she withdrew her hand. He smiled at her. “Want to take a nap with me? I think this couch is big enough for two,” He offered, raising a brow at her curiously.

Her cheeks heated adorably and then he was smirking as he moved to make himself more comfortable, stretching out a bit and guiding her to lay down beside him closer to the inside of the sofa. She couldn’t help chuckling nervously as she scooted in closer, obviously not bothering to say no to him. She laid down, resting her cheek against his shoulder as she tucked her head against his neck as he tugged the blanket over them both.

“You still stink,” She said, feigning disgust and he smirked.

“Yeah, well- _suck it up, buttercup_ ,” He singsonged. “You either get me to take a nap or a shower. You can’t have both,” He teased.

She laughed, rolling her eyes at him as she curled up a bit more against his side, sort of draped across him. She settled her injured hand against his chest and was surprised when he reached to move her hand slightly to the right of his chest. He held her there for a moment before he withdrew his hand, letting out a slow breath.

And for the briefest of seconds, Percy thought she had felt something under his shirt that didn’t quite belong there. But before she could dwell on it, he was asking Jarvis to dim the lights, shut off the music and save his work. “Get some sleep, Percy,” He murmured after a beat. “I’ll keep an eye on you, okay? No more nightmares tonight.”

She smiled tentatively into the crook of his neck, just breathing in his scent. He really didn’t smell half bad, she just wanted to tease him. She sort of liked his rather musky scent, even if it was mixed with oil and a metallic tang. It was something she’d always come to attribute to him, now finally understanding why he smelt that way.

She sighed, relaxing into his warm half embrace. He’d managed to sneak an arm around her shoulder and was holding her against him gently now. “Thank you, Tony,” She murmured, her lips accidentally brushing against his neck.

It took all of his self-restraint in that moment not to jerk in surprise at the brush against his skin and the goosebumps that spread like wildfire against him. He bit down on his lower lip as she inhaled deeply and then let it out, her warm breath washing over his throat. He closed his eyes as he tried not to groan, willing his body not to pay attention and instead turned to press a kiss to her hair. 

She smiled, noticing a hitch in his breath as she nuzzled into his neck even more and he couldn’t help the stuttered breath he gave as her lips pressed to the side of his neck, this time deliberate and just beneath his ear. “Don’t mention it,” He barely managed to whisper back.

Her lips curved up into a slow smile, still pressed against his sensitive flesh and his cheeks heated as she mouthed at him ever so tentatively. He inhaled slowly through his nose as he tried not to read too much into the little kiss and instead shut his eyes tightly, willing his body to _calm the fuck down and stop being a pervy friend for two-seconds_. Percy needed him.

When he didn’t say anything more and she swore she could hear the pounding of his own heart over her own racing heartbeat, she relaxed, pulling her lips from his skin and nuzzling deeper into his shoulder as she made herself more comfortable.

Needless to say, it took him a long while before he managed to fall asleep, despite having been dead tired. Obviously he was too caught up in thoughts of the woman lying peacefully asleep nestled against him and wondering what the hell those little kisses had been and desperately wishing that she’d continued; even if it was torture, it’d been the best kind he was sure he’d ever endured.

 

Sometime early the next morning, Steve had ventured down to the lab when Tony hadn’t come to bed and had been pleasantly surprised to find Percy and Tony asleep together on the workshop’s sofa. He thought he probably looked ridiculous with the way he was smiling but couldn't bring himself to care as he led Parker out of the lab and taken him along for his morning run, having left the two to finish their nap-time.

Jarvis had told him that she’d needed reassurance after a nightmare and Tony had still been awake, so he’d helped her make her way down to the lab around 2 in the morning. Steve had been rather floored when he’d come across them, wondering if Tony had done what he couldn’t and finally fessed up. He was disappointed that hadn’t been the case, but still pleased that they were so comfortable like that with one another. He just hoped that in time, they’d be able to tell her how they felt. 

And so, while he’d been on his run, Percy had awoken to a quiet lab, only the sounds of some of Tony’s machines humming as they remained powered on and the genius’ soft breathing next to her. When she awoke, it took her a moment to recall where she was and when she felt the steady rise and fall of Tony’s chest beneath her as she laid almost on top of him, she blushed deeply when she recalled the events of the early morning. She carefully tried to extricate herself, knowing that Parker would no doubt need to be walked and fed. She managed to get up from her comfortable spot before she laid the blanket over him once again.

He didn’t stir and instead curled in on himself even more, grumbling something in his sleep as he made himself more comfortable. She couldn’t help smiling fondly as she took a couple of steps away from him and then realized she had no idea where the door was to the lab, let alone what else might be in her path. She froze, trying to think about how to do this without waking Tony and bit her lip nervously.

“May I be of assistance?” Jarvis asked quietly and she was immediately thankful for the AI’s presence and his guidance.

“Ah, good morning, Jarvis. Yes, please. Is Parker here? I don’t hear him,” She said worriedly.

“Captain Rogers has taken him out on his morning run and should be back at the Tower in an hour if he keeps to his schedule. He asked me to tell you he’d also fed Parker, in case you woke,” Jarvis told her quietly.

She breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “Thank you, Jarvis.” 

“Of course, Miss. Would you like me to guide you back to your rooms?” He asked her then.

Percy was about to say yes, when she realized that she actually didn’t really want to leave Tony’s lab. She liked the idea of being in his personal space, a place she had been told wasn’t exactly open to many and she found herself wanting to spend a bit more time here. She frowned and turned her head back towards where she’d left Tony asleep on the couch. “Is there anything that’s dangerous in here? Something I might by accident stumble across and make a mess of?” She asked worriedly.

“Oh yes,” Jarvis started. “The lab can be a bit dangerous for someone who doesn’t know how to navigate it or perhaps didn’t have any _guidance_ ,” He continued.

Her lips quirked up in the beginnings of a smile. “Is that so?”

“Perhaps you’d like me to show you around, Miss Matthews?” Jarvis asked her then and she couldn't help grinning cheekily as she nodded, knowing the AI would see her.

A few minutes had passed by as Jarvis quietly explained the basic layout of the lab and where not to venture to and then led her along his workbench to just get a feel for the space. She was smiling to herself as she walked around, just listening to the steady hum of machinery and knowing that she was surrounded by the genius’ personal things and all of his wonderful inventions.

She liked the steady hum that the place emitted and actually found it to be rather soothing and she relaxed as she sat down on one of his rolling stools. “Does Tony keep his Iron-Man suit in here?” She asked Jarvis after a beat; obviously curious.

“He does, Miss. Would you like me to guide you towards it?” He asked her.

She bit her lower lip gently. “Maybe? Do you think he’d be upset with you showing it to me?” 

“I wouldn’t think so. He always did like to show off,” Jarvis said easily.

She chuckled, rising from her seat before nodding. “Okay, guide away.”

When she finally found herself standing in front of one of Tony’s suits, she was both nervous and excited. She’d heard about the suit from the news and just what people said they’d seen of it. She thought she recalled the colours being red and gold and she smiled at the thought of Tony wanting to be a little showy with his armour.

“I won’t set off any alarms by touching it, will I?” She asked as she raised a tentative hand out towards where Jarvis had said the armour was.

“Not to worry, Miss,” Jarvis replied.

She nodded and carefully reached out with her left hand, the backs of her fingers brushing against cool metal. She swallowed hard and turned her hand, splaying her fingers wide as she pressed it against the metal. It felt hard, solid steel beneath her fingertips and she shifted her hand upward before she found what felt like the shoulder.

She let her good hand wander for a while, just mapping out the grooves of the metal, the shape of the shoulders and the chest. She came into contact with a sort of glass plate in the centre of the breast plate and she wondered at it for a moment; curious as to its shape and if it were a symbol of some kind. She shifted closer, reaching up with both hands then as she let the tips of her fingers trace along the chest and then farther up to settle on either side of the suit’s helmet.

She swallowed hard, thinking back to the comment Tony had made on one of their first meetings together. ‘ _Sort of like an armour or a mask to keep you safely tucked behind’_ Tony’s voice repeated in her mind. She blinked, her eyes wide and unseeing as she stared up at the face of Iron-Man, Tony Stark’s creation; wishing she could see it instead of just feel it beneath her hands.

“You’ve got a thing for the suit. _I knew it_ ,” Tony’s teasing voice said from just behind her.

She jumped, nervous laughter escaping her at being caught pretty well feeling up his suit and she blushed, shying away and turning to face the sound of his voice. “S-sorry, Tony, you caught me. I’ve only ever put up with you in hopes of having a passionate love affair with your suit,” She teased back, trying to find some equal footing.

Tony laughed, shaking his head as he took a couple of steps towards her, casting a quick glance towards his armour before settling his gaze back on her. “Was that your master plan all along?” He asked teasingly. “Run away into the sunset with Iron-Man? Sounds pretty romantic.”

Percy’s lips quirked and she bit her lower lip. “Fairytales, Tony,” She murmured.

“Right,” He said quietly. “ _Fairytales_.”

She didn’t bother to reply, merely stood there for a second or two longer before turning her head back to where the armour stood. “So, that’s your suit then? Is it really red and gold?” She asked quietly.

Tony smirked. “It is, hot rod red and the brightest gold you could ever imagine.”

“Huh,” She said, crossing her arms in front of her chest, her expression changing from obvious awe to something else he couldn’t quite read.

Tony eyed her curiously. “What?”

She shrugged, gesturing casually with her wounded arm, the brightness of the pink cast distracting him for a moment. “ _Well_ , I just thought there’d be more…bells and whistles,” She confessed, her features conveying a bit of disappointment.

“ _Bells and whistles?_ ” Tony said, bristling. “ _Oh_ , I’ll show you bells and whistles,” He muttered, quickly moving and saying something to Jarvis under his breath.

Percy took a step back at the unmistakable sound of metal plates shifting and machinery whirring and she tried so hard to keep the look of smug satisfaction off her face when Tony donned the suit. The genius now fully encased in his armour turned to survey her, face-plate firmly in place as he muttered into the comm; “ _Bells and whistles._ You know, if I didn’t-“ He started in annoyance, only to interrupt himself when he caught sight of Percy trying desperately to cover her grin with the back of her injured hand.

“ _Why you_ -“ He started in disbelief. “You just wanted me to put on the suit!” He exclaimed, laughter bubbling up in his chest.

She laughed, unable to restrain it any longer as she nodded. “I know I could have asked, but you really are just adorable when you get all indignant, Tony. Wish I could see you get all riled, I’ve been told you pout something fierce,” She teased.

Tony scoffed, shaking his head as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, the metal plates shifting and the whirring loud in the otherwise quiet lab. “I bet you’re pouting now,” She singsonged, taking a step towards him, reaching out with her left hand to try and find him.

He was indeed pouting, but she didn’t have to know that. With his face-plate up, his voice still filtering through his voice modulator, he was sure she wouldn’t be able to tell anyway, so he could deny it… _maybe_. He watched as the backs of her knuckles bumped into his forearm and then she was turning her hand to press against the cool metal.

When she realized he had his arms crossed, she ran her palm up the side of the arm until she met with his shoulder. He was clearly at least a couple of heads taller than her and she had to reach up a little more until she touched the side of the helmet; his mask. “I’m not _pouting_ ,” Tony tried to deny, watching as her lips quirked.

“Open your helmet and say that again,” She challenged.

Tony rolled his eyes, popping open his face-plate before saying, with most certainly the biggest pout ever, plastered across his face. “I’m not pouting.”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “You sure about that? It sure _sounds_ like you’re pouting.”

Tony sighed, dropping his arms to his sides. “Okay, maybe I was pouting a _little_. But if you wanted me to put the suit on, you just had to ask. Not tease me and then make fun of me for it,” He said petulantly.

She laughed lightly, giving him a warm smile as she let her own hand slip from the side of his helmet. “I wasn’t making fun of you. I said I thought you were adorable when you get all riled. I wasn’t making fun.” 

He rolled his eyes, letting out a soft sigh as he shook his head. “Yeah, yeah,” He muttered.

“So…what kinds of bells and whistles you got in there? I heard you can fly, that must be pretty amazing. I also heard you can shoot lasers or something out of your hands,” She chuckled.

Tony smirked, shaking his head at her. “Knew you only liked me for the suit.”

She laughed, shaking her head as she reached out and tried to push him with her good hand. He didn’t budge an inch and her laughter faded, sobering somewhat. He caught something in her eye then, a shyness…a vulnerability that he hadn’t seen there a moment before and he tilted his head thoughtfully as he regarded her.

“That’s not true, Tony,” She murmured, her voice having turned soft, almost timid and he realized belatedly that her hand was still resting against his chest, palm flat right next to the Arc Reactor. 

“You sure?” He tried to probe, taking a careful step closer to her and watching as she took a slightly shaky breath, her hand flexing against his chest-plate, but refusing to step back with his movements.

Nervous laughter escaped her and she nodded. “Of course I’m sure, Tony. I like you for who you are. I lo-“ She cut herself off, her deep chocolate eyes widening when she realized what she was about to say and went to take a step back, removing her hand from his chest.

But he swore he heard the beginnings of a word he so desperately wanted to say to her, to hear her say to him and he took yet another step towards her. She tried to turn away from him, laughing lightly and shaking her head, trying to distract him as she told him he was being ridiculous and that _of course_ she wasn’t just friends with him because of the suit.

But through it all, he could see that she was growing more and more flustered, a blush spreading down her throat and settling across her collarbones bared to him thanks to her thin tank top and he watched as she took an uncertain step away from him. But she was apparently not quite sure where she was in the lab anymore, having unfortunately lost her direction. He smiled tentatively at her and walked towards her, her head snapping towards the sound of his movements in the armour and when she took a nervous step back from him, she found herself leaning back against a desk, her bum pressing against its edge.

Her breath left her then when she felt Tony suddenly bracket her in. Bracing a gauntlet on either side of her, flat against his workbench and nearly looming over her, forcing her to lean back only a little uncomfortably if she didn’t want her face only an inch or two away from his. She looked up at him with wide eyes, lips parted and cheeks still flushed; but they were clearly growing wider…darker.

Tony’s lips quirked as he looked at her, just watching the rise and fall of her chest as she took in deeper breaths. He couldn’t help but bite his lower lip as he observed her, wishing his face-plate was still down so that he could see if her heart rate was as high as his was sure to be.

She swallowed hard. “I like you for you, Tony. Not because you wear a fancy suit of armour that’s probably making that big head of yours _bigger_ every time you put it on, but because you’re genuinely a good man and a true hero,” She insisted, her hands coming up to nervously settle against his chest-plate.

Tony smiled gently as he stood back up properly and flicked his wrist, the suit opening and deconstructing as it returned to its rightful place in the workshop. When he stepped up towards her again-she apparently not having had the wherewithal to move-he braced his hands on either side of her against the workbench and leaned in close to her, his lips hovering dangerously close to the shell of her ear.

“I’m glad you like me for who I am, Percy. But I’m not a hero,” He told her quietly.

She shook her head, reaching out and pressing the palm of her good hand to his chest. She could feel something beneath his shirt then and he shifted so that her hand slipped and rested only against his shirt-covered chest and not the awful Reactor still buried in his flesh. He wasn’t ready to have that conversation with her at the moment.

Her brows furrowed, a pinched expression on her face as she shook her head. “You’re _my_ hero,” She insisted, looking up at him with such sincerity reflected in her eyes.

He swallowed then, taking a deeper breath as his gaze flickered down to her lips and he was once again struck by thoughts of wondering what they’d taste like. She smiled tentatively up at him before she turned her head away, breaking whatever had formed between them in those precious seconds. “So, what do you have planned for today?” She asked him quietly, trying to change the subject.

Tony smiled timidly at her before shaking his head and taking a slight step back, no longer bracketing her against the desk. “Was just going to continue to work on those upgrades I mentioned. Do…do you want to maybe stick around? I could use the company and maybe the reminder to eat and-“

“ _Shower?_ ” Percy filled in for him.

He chuckled softly. “Yeah, maybe that’d be a good idea. Though I’m just going to get all dirty again.”

She laughed lightly, shaking her head. “How about you go shower, I’ll go shower too and then make some breakfast for us, find out where Parker is and then come back down to keep you company? I’ve not got anything pressing to do today, so maybe I can help you somehow?” She asked lightly, giving him a shrug.

Tony beamed at her. “Yeah, Percy. That sounds-that sounds really great.”

She smiled a little brighter then, giving him a nod. “Shall we then? Because I’ll be honest…you still stink.”

Tony laughed and nodded, watching her smile bloom into a grin and soon they were both heading towards the elevator to head up and shower. Tony wound up helping her make breakfast and while doing so, Steve and Bucky ventured along and joined them with Parker as well. Percy had asked if Steve or Bucky would mind watching the pup for a little while, while she spent some time with Tony in his lab and both had readily agreed to help out, not having too much going on either that day.

She’d thanked them and then her and Tony had slipped off to the lab together. Steve and Bucky had shared a look of curiosity as they’d left together, Tony babbling on to her about what he was currently working on and how he thought he was getting closer to the next best thing. She’d laughed and smiled and nodded along and the two super-soldiers had smirked and shaken their heads at the pair.

Apparently Percy liked technology. That or she was just putting up with his science babble because she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. They’d chuckled and asked Jarvis to let them know if they got into any trouble in the lab and make sure that they both remembered to actually eat something. 

And so Percy found herself listening to the genius as he worked away on his gauntlet upgrades with loud rock music playing in the background, chatting with her every so often when he wasn’t too busy concentrating and Percy absolutely _loved_ it.

She was quiet, just humming along to some of the songs she recognized and keeping him company really. She disappeared to go and make smoothies at one point and when she’d come back, he’d introduced her to DUM-E and U who had nearly tripped her on her way back to her seat. She’d been absolutely tickled that he’d made something as adorable as helpful robots and he’d spent the next forty-five minutes explaining to her that they were by far his worst and yet best creations.

They’d laughed over that, he sharing stories of the two causing trouble in the lab or saving him from trouble he’d caused. It turned out to be a lovely afternoon and before they knew it, it’d become early evening. She shifted on her rolling stool, singing along softly to a song on his stereo as she leaned on his desk, reaching for where he said he’d left a couple of small tools that he needed.

She found three of them, all of which felt like screwdrivers and she held them up for him, not knowing which one he needed. “Thanks, darling,” He smirked and took the largest of the three.

She smiled and set the other two down beside her on the desk, still sort of toying with the smallest of the two as she murmured a _no problem_ , back. She shifted again, idly scratching at her cast, trying to slip her fingers beneath the opening by her knuckles to get at that awful itch. She’d hated the cast from day one, but she knew she really didn’t have a choice. It was only part way through the first week with it and she still had a long way to go yet before it’d fully heal.

She sighed, still scratching away and her elbow bumped the screwdrivers on the desk and just like that, a little lightbulb went off. She picked up the smaller of the two screwdrivers and turned it around in her left hand so that the metal end faced her and tentatively slipped it beneath the edge of her cast and it was pure relief in that instant; she groaned.

Tony’s head whipped around at the sound and he was momentarily shocked for all of a second before he started cackling at the scene she presented. She laughed, blushing at having been caught scratching that awful itch and he grinned at her. “I can only imagine how itchy that must be,” He confessed, shaking his head.

“Oh, you have _no idea_ ,” She breathed before letting out another groan, still scratching beneath the cast with the screwdriver.

He grinned, shaking his head as he went back to work, still smiling dopily to himself. It wasn’t long after that that Jarvis told them the Team was gathering for dinner and that they’d been summoned. They’d both agreed to come up for dinner and Percy had turned to hand the genius back his screwdriver.

Tony looked at her, giving her a teasing smile. “I’ll let you hang on to that one for a while.”

She laughed delightedly and slipped it into her back jeans pocket. “Why thank you, Tony. Best birthday present I could have ever asked for.”

His face fell almost immediately. “It-it’s not your birthday, is it?”

She smiled, shrugging a bit “Turned 30 this morning. But if anyone asks, I’m still 29, _right?_ ” She winked.

He shook his head incredulously. “ _Percy!_ ” He said in exasperation. “How could you not tell us it was your birthday!? And _30?_ You don’t look a day over 21!” He said, clearly amused and yet upset that they’d not known it was her birthday.

She laughed, shaking her head. “Flattery, Tony. It’ll get you everywhere,” She singsonged.

Tony shook his head in disbelief. “I still can’t believe it’s your birthday. You didn’t tell _anyone?_ ” 

She shook her head, following him towards the elevator. “No, it’s not really something I celebrate.”

“Why not?” He blurted, still rather surprised by the admission; _and 30? No way_. He thought to himself absently.

“Well, I Never really had anyone to celebrate it with,” She said quietly.

Tony blinked, surprised at the admission. “Would you like to celebrate it with us?” He asked hopefully.

She smiled at him as they stepped into the elevator together. “I already am. I get to spend tonight having dinner with my friends. That’s an excellent way to spend my birthday, if you ask me.”

Tony’s lips quirked and he reached out to grasp her injured hand, bringing her knuckles to his lips for a kiss. “How about we have dinner with everyone tonight and we set a date to _actually_ celebrate your birthday. Thir-I mean, _twenty-nine_ -is a big year for a young woman. Let us throw you a party, Percy. It’ll just be us, _I_ _promise_. Just the Team and some music and drinks and maybe some _dancing,_ ” He tried to coerce as he attempted to sway with her in the elevator.

She laughed, letting him guide her in a bit of a twirl as she gave him a warm smile. “You don’t have to make a fuss over me, Tony. I really don’t need a party.”

“Then just a get together?” He tried again, _insistent_ ; if there was ever one thing Tony Stark was good at, it was being just a little bit pushy.

She sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” She asked, the elevator starting its ascent.

“ _Nope_ ,” He said, popping the ‘p’. “So, what kind of cake do you like?” 

She huffed, rolling her eyes and soon they’d joined the rest of the Team in their apartment for dinner and a movie night. They’d settled on planning a small get together for the coming Saturday evening for Percy’s birthday celebration. Everyone had been wildly upset that they hadn’t known it was her birthday and Steve insisted on at least having ice-cream to celebrate and then sing her happy birthday after dinner that night.

She’d insisted that there be no gifts at her party, no big fancy dinner or a large group of people she didn’t know. She just wanted the Team and she’d asked if Pepper might be free and if anyone could reach Thor, to see if he was able to join. But other than that, it was just going to be a casual night in with drinks, dinner, maybe dancing and cake; because Tony insisted there be cake.


	11. Eleven

The next morning, Tony dragged Steve and Bucky down to his lab to talk to the pair about possible birthday gift ideas for Percy and so with the two super-soldiers leaning comfortably against his workbench, the genius fired off an email, expecting a no doubt immediate response from its recipient.

Sure enough, as soon as he set the phone down, a call was coming through. He asked Jarvis to put it up over the intercom in his workshop so that his lovers could listen and promptly answered the call. “Hey, Pep,” He greeted. “I’ve got you on speaker and the guys are with me, so play nice.”

Pepper’s warm laughter echoed back at them and they smiled at the sound. “Good morning, boys. So, what’s this about needing to find a pearl specialist? Are you buying Percy new pearls?” She asked excitedly. 

Tony chuckled softly, glancing towards his lovers. “We’d like to, yes. It was apparently her birthday yesterday and she didn’t tell any of us, so we’re actually throwing her a party on Saturday. We were hoping you’d like to join us and if you could be a doll and find her the best string of pearls possible, we’d truly appreciate it.”

“ _Oh, Tony_. You know I’ll do my best for you. I’m already looking up possible contacts now and I should be able to narrow a few down. Fresh Water or Cultured?” She asked.

“Uh-“ He said, looking towards Bucky and Steve.

“I think Cultured would be better. I’ve heard they’re supposed to be more shiny or something…” Steve all but mumbled, obviously having done some research.

Tony smirked at him. “Cultured it is and what do you think, gold or white gold for the clasp?” Pepper asked.

“White gold,” Tony said and then glanced towards Bucky when he cleared his throat hesitantly.

“Is there any chance we can put a stone in the middle of it? Like a…a yellow one?” He asked timidly.

Steve looked to him, giving him nothing short of a megawatt smile and Bucky looked away, feeling a tad uncomfortable. “You’re a genius,” Tony breathed, smiling stupidly at his lover. “Pep, we need a yellow diamond in there. It’s got to be a light yellow, nothing too gaudy and don’t make it huge, _tasteful_ please. Maybe a one and a half carat or a touch bigger?” He rambled on excitedly.

Pepper chuckled on the other end of the phone. “Of course it’ll be tasteful, Tony. Nothing gaudy or too showy. _Understated elegance_ , I’m on it.”

“Thank you!” Tony singsonged. “You’re the best and why don’t you buy yourself a pair of shoes while you’re at it for the trouble,” He offered.

She laughed, clearly smiling when she spoke next. “Already ordered. Bye boys, I’ll have the necklace in hand when I come by on Saturday. See you then and Tony, text me a time, please and thank you.”

“Of course, Pep. See you then,” Tony murmured, both Bucky and Steve’s goodbye’s echoing just before the call ended.

“That was easy,” Steve said, glancing towards Bucky.

Bucky smiled wryly. “Now how do we give it to her without blurting _I love you_ the second she opens the damn box?” He huffed.

Tony cackled and promptly had to shut his mouth when they both turned on him and shot him a disapproving glare. “It’s an honest question, I get it,” Tony muttered, a smile still tugging at his lips as he pictured Bucky doing just that.

“How about we don’t worry about _not_ telling her…?” Steve said gently, looking first to Bucky, then to Tony. “And instead…just _actually_ tell her?” He tried.

Bucky swallowed hard, glancing towards Tony. “I’m tired of dancing around her all the time,” Steve admitted. “I want to pull her close when we’re on the couch together, I want to kiss her and hold her and lavish her with attention and it’s killing me that I can’t,” He confessed.

Tony frowned, brows pinching up. “The other night when she fell asleep in the lab with me…it was…it was really nice to have her there like that. I wanted to tell her then, wanted to tell her yesterday morning. She started to say something to me yesterday and I could have sworn she was going to say the word love but she could have ended it with _tacos_ for all I know. I just, I wanted it so _bad_. I want her so badly,” He all but groaned, scrubbing his hands over his face.

Bucky and Steve both frowned, Bucky’s turning into a fierce pout. “What if she breaks our hearts and tells us she never could never really love us that way, that we’re just friends?”

Tony groaned, but Steve’s matching one was louder. “ _Bucky_ -“ Steve said in frustration.

“Why do you always have to think the _worst?_ ” Tony asked him in exasperation, crossing his arms in front of his chest and glaring at his lover petulantly.

Bucky shrugged a bit. “Because I don’t get lucky with shit,” He admitted. “I barely managed to keep from fucking up what you two had from the start by trying to do the right thing by Stevie and just let him go,” He went on.

Steve scowled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Like you always know what’s best for me.”

Tony and Bucky both rolled their eyes at this and Bucky huffed out a breath. “I was _tryin’_ not to get in Tony’s way!” He defended and then carried on so that he didn’t get swept up in that particular conversation again. “I just…I never thought I’d get lucky and land _two_ perfect guys after having my perfect Stevie all to myself- _before_ -I just…didn’t think I’d ever be lucky enough to have that and the thought of being lucky enough to have _three_ incredible people love me in return,” He mumbled, shaking his head. “Sounds like a fairytale.”

Tony’s gaze softened then as he looked towards first Bucky and then Steve. “You know we’re supposed to be superheroes, right?”

Steve rolled his eyes, giving his lover a weary sigh. “What does that have to do with anything, Tony?” He said in frustration, reaching up and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“It has to do with everything,” Tony stated easily. “We live in a world of unlikelihoods. We’ve dealt with aliens, magic, _Gods_ -“ He huffed, shaking his head. “If we live in a world with all of that crazy shit, don’t you think that fairytales could and very likely _do_ exist?” He asked quietly.

Bucky blinked, turning his gaze back towards the genius. He regarded him thoughtfully for a moment, just staring and meeting the brunette’s deep brown eyes and wondering if maybe that could somehow be true. Tony gave him a warm smile in return. 

“Why are we so afraid of a rejection I don’t think any of us will receive? Has she ever said anything to make any of us feel as if there wasn’t a chance with her?” He asked lightly.

“Well…she made me agree that that kiss we shared was an accident,” Bucky started shyly.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Because she more than likely thought of it as you _cheating_ on us.”

Bucky took a slow breath, still looking at the genius. “Didn’t you say that you tried to explain polyamory to her at one point, Steve?” Tony asked the blonde then.

Steve nodded, thinking back to that conversation. “I did. Told her it was a closed relationship between more than one person. So just because we’re polyamorous, doesn’t mean that we just open ourselves up to everyone. We have a closed relationship between the three of us, which means no one else would be brought into the relationship unless we all agreed.”

Tony gestured towards the blonde. “ _See?_ She probably thought she was making you cheat and she would never jeopardize her friendships with any of us, so _of course_ she tried to save you and maybe herself when she kissed you back.”

Bucky inhaled deeply, scrubbing his metal hand down his face in an attempt to distract himself. “But what if-“

Steve interrupted him with a light smack on the back of the head. “ _Barnes_ ,” He said sternly. “She’s been testing us lately, haven’t you noticed? I know she returns at least some of our affections. Whether or not it’s love remains to be seen. But she’s been more, _handsy,_ for lack of a better term.” 

Bucky huffed, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck. Steve just rolled his eyes at his best friend. “What? You mean like her cuddlin’ on the couch and stuff?” Bucky asked nervously.

Steve nodded, glancing towards Tony. “She’s practically draped over us every chance she gets when we’re watching television and she’s reading or just listening along. Even at dinner, she’s always leaning against whichever one of us gets to sit beside her-“

“And she’s developed your _lovely_ habit of the boob-grab,” Tony pointed out with a grin.

Steve cocked his head slightly, not sure what he meant. But then Bucky was rolling his eyes and demonstrating as he pretended to laugh and reached out to rest his metal hand against the blonde’s pec as if to steady himself. Steve looked to him incredulously, then down at his hand. “I don’t do that, do I?” He asked curiously.

Bucky and Tony both smirked at him. “You never realize you’re doing it. We think it’s hilarious. You grab your left boob any time you’re doubled over laughin’ and you’ll go so far as to brace yourself against someone else’s boob if they made you laugh,” Bucky chuckled.

Steve guffawed, not thinking that he actually did it. But then he actually let himself think about it for a second and his cheeks heated. “Oh _jeeze,_ no one thinks I’m tryin’ to feel em’ up or anything, do they?” He asked nervously.

Tony laughed, shaking his head. “No, Steve. We think it’s adorable. Forget we said anything. I just happened to notice that Percy tends to brace herself against us all the time. Sort of like your boob-grab,” He teased.

Steve couldn’t help chuckling softly at that. “Okay, yeah. I noticed that too.”

Bucky sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose a bit. “So, just because she’s a bit more comfortable around us doesn’t mean that she’s interested in us that way-“

“ _Oh my_ ** _God_** _!_ You’re like a broken record!” Tony shouted, making shooing motions towards him. “I can’t take his mopey self anymore, Steve. Go get him some ice-cream or something and try and talk some sense into him, _please?_ I have to get back to work.”

Steve rolled his eyes and Bucky just pouted, looking towards the genius. “I ain’t bein’ no mope,” He tried to fight.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Say that again without the pout and I may believe you,” He said flatly.

Bucky huffed, pouting even more so and Tony looked towards Steve and gestured widely to Bucky. “Is he not being a mope?”

Steve sighed. “Ok, yeah Buck. You’re being a mope. Come on, let’s go up and get some ice-cream and cuddle on the couch. Percy might even be around,” He tried to coerce, giving him a wink.

Bucky smiled tentatively, his pout disappearing a bit. “Okay, fine. Do you think we can persuade her to have ice-cream too? I finally got those chocolate covered pomegranates and I’d like to see if I can get her to eat ‘em.”

Steve smirked and Tony grinned across at them. “Good luck with that. I swear she’s got the nose of a blood hound,” The blonde insisted.

Tony laughed. “Nah, she’s just too smart to accept food from Bucky. _Me_ …on the other hand,” He winked, getting up off his rolling stool; work apparently completely dismissed for the moment.

Bucky grinned at him and pulled the genius in for a hug. “Gonna’ help me bring her over to the dark side?” 

Tony cackled gleefully and kissed his lover’s cheek, Steve watching the two with a stupid smile on his face. “Have you been watching Star Wars without me?”

“Maybe,” Bucky murmured, nuzzling against Tony’s ear. 

The genius grinned and kissed his cheek again. “Okay, okay. Come on.”

As they made their way towards the elevators, Steve so helpfully reminded them, “You know, I don’t know that Percy’s going to be up for ice-cream first thing in the morning. What about pancakes? I bet we can put a few chocolate covered pomegranates in those and she wouldn’t suspect a thing,” He tried to offer as nonchalantly as possible.

Bucky grinned at his lover. “ _Oh, Stevie_. Are you gonna’ _help_ us?” He asked hopefully.

Steve shrugged, trying not to smirk. “ _Maybe_ ,” He murmured, his lips quirking and Tony and Bucky both cackled delightfully before they dragged the blonde into the elevator.


	12. Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are three songs mentioned in this chapter and I highly suggest you look them up on YouTube or iTunes to listen to them while you read the scene. They're lovely. xD 
> 
> The first is Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, the second is Frank Sinatra's The Best is Yet to Come and the third is Frank Sinatra's Something Stupid. 
> 
> I love these songs and I just so happened to be listening to them over the course of plotting out this story and I really wanted to use the lyrics/songs in it, so I hope you enjoy this chapter. <3

Steve sat transfixed on the sofa in their apartment’s living room, his gaze fixed on Percy as she flitted about the kitchen with her headphones on over her ears. She was humming and singing along to a song he didn’t recognize as she busied herself in the kitchen making a smoothie with Parker dancing about at her feet. From the way she was acting, the way she was dancing and moving about, singing under her breath; he knew that she had absolutely _no idea_ that he was even in the apartment. To be fair, he had said that he wouldn’t be back until around 5 o-clock and it was only 3:30pm now and everyone else was busy with birthday plans for tonight’s party; so she hadn’t any reason to assume that there was anyone else in the apartment.

Steve had grabbed his sketchbook from the coffee table some time ago, wanting to draw her as she carried on. She looked so carefree and happy and he loved hearing the sound of her voice as she let herself sing along to her music. And so he sat watching the young woman as she continued to sing and dance around the kitchen with Parker at her feet, completely oblivious to his watchful eyes.

A song that she must have been particularly fond of came on then and her demeanour seemed to change as she started belting out the lyrics in a rather high pitched voice, singing along happily as she bent to try and coerce Parker into jumping up and dancing with her. She was laughing in between her singing as she managed to hold both of his paws tentatively in her hands, his one paw resting over her cast instead of grasping it as she led the pup in a dance.

Steve was grinning from ear to ear and he knew he should have felt a bit guilty just watching her, but he really couldn’t help himself. He was still sketching away as she continued and then Parker jumped down, tail wagging happily as he trotted towards him, having apparently grown tired of dancing. She laughed beautifully as she quit singing for a moment to speak to the pup. “What’s the matter, Parker? Is my singing that awful? Oh well, no matter. The next song will be better…or maybe worse?” She chuckled, pulling her music device from her pocket and hitting the next button.

Steve watched as she changed the song and then she was singing along to the new one as she went back to making her smoothie, adding a banana and then some milk to the blender before hitting the on button. The elevator dinging at his back suddenly drew his attention and he glanced over his shoulder to see Bucky striding towards him, but then the brunette’s gaze was being drawn by the young woman as she started singing along in earnest to whatever song she’d chosen.

Steve chuckled, biting his lower lip as Bucky’s very curious and adoring gaze shifted from the young woman back to Steve as he motioned him towards the sofa. “What’s got her in such a good mood?” Bucky asked, rather bemused as he came over and leaned against the back of the couch.

Steve couldn’t help smirking as he tipped his head back and Bucky leaned down to give him a kiss. “Not sure, but she’s been singing for the last half hour or so. Was even dancing with Parker for a while,” He chuckled.

Bucky smiled, glancing down at Parker who had settled himself next to the blonde’s feet and then let his gaze wander towards Steve’s open sketchbook. “She doesn’t have a clue you’re here, does she?” Bucky asked dazedly.

Steve grinned, shaking his head. “ _Nope,_ ” He said, popping the ‘p’.

Bucky had to muffle his laughter, turning his face into his shoulder to stifle it for fear of her hearing him and they being found out. “So you’ve been drawin’ her this whole time?” He asked curiously.

Steve nodded, flipping back a couple of pages. “Been sketching her in various stages of her dancing, just facial expressions too,” He admitted, watching as Bucky perused the few drawings he’d managed to procure.

The brunette grinned, shaking his head incredulously. But then Percy’s voice seemed to grow rather animated and they both turned to watch as she started stomping her feet and saying _Thunder!_ And lots of _nananananaa’s_ with so much determination on her face that they were both powerless not to cackle under their breaths, trying desperately to stifle the sounds they were making so she wouldn’t hear.

But then the elevator doors were opening and out walked Tony, who promptly stilled, his eyes widening in surprise when he both heard and saw Percy dancing and singing at the edge of the kitchen. He was so caught up in her singing and dancing, that he missed seeing Bucky and Steve sitting on the sofa together, both casting glances over their shoulders at him.

He recognized the song she was singing and dancing to and he grinned as he started towards her, but then Bucky stood up properly, reaching out for him and the genius was promptly dragged over to the sofa. “ _Hey_ -“ Tony said in surprise, looking up at his lover.

Bucky chuckled, giving Tony’s cheek a kiss. “Hey, yourself,” He murmured, nuzzling into Tony’s neck for a brief moment.

Tony smirked at Bucky’s affections before glancing back towards Percy and then down at Steve who was still sketching away in his notebook. “She has no idea you’re both here, does she?”Tony asked, sounding rather amused.

“ _Nope_ ,” Steve said again, popping the ‘p’ once more.

Tony grinned mischievously, listening as Percy started singing a new song. “Man, she’s apparently into ACDC _and_ Queen,” He sighed. “My kind of woman,” He said under his breath before he started towards the young woman, who still remained completely oblivious to their presence.

Steve and Bucky watched, curious as to how this was going to turn out as the genius headed towards her. “Hey, J? Do me a favour and play the song over the speakers for us?” Tony asked his AI after a beat.

Jarvis didn’t reply and instead began the song from where Percy was singing throughout the apartment. Tony grinned and strode towards Percy, careful to stay just out of reach as he waited for the right moment to announce himself. She was fully immersed in the song, having stopped the blender and poured herself a cup of the fruit smoothie she’d made.

She was now swaying back and forth at the edge of the kitchen island, just dancing slowly whilst she sang, really starting to feel the music as Tony would have said. But then the instrumental part of the song began, just past the opening sequence and he grinned, sensing his chance to make his presence known. 

He reached out carefully to her and grasped her good hand in his own. She startled, a gasp escaping her and she reached up with her injured wrist to knock her headphones down to settle around her neck. “Hey darling,” Tony said cheerily, dragging her towards him as the instrumental interlude continued.

“ _T-Tony!_ ” She said in surprise, her cheeks heating adorably as she realized he’d been there no doubt listening to her singing and dancing like a fool.

He laughed, delighted by her reaction and pulled her along into the living room. “You’re listening to one of my favourite songs, come on, sing with me?” He asked hopefully.

She laughed, still clearly embarrassed as she nodded and bit her lower lip, letting him tug her along…and then the interlude was over and they were all seriousness as they tried to do the song justice. “ _I see a little silhouetto of a man, scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango- Thunderbolt and lightning very very frightening me//Gallileo, Gallileo, Gallileo, Gallileo, Gallileo Figaro - magnifico-o-o-o!_ ” Tony and Percy both sang, nearly shouting the lyrics as they really got into it. 

“ _I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me -_ “ They both sang, Tony holding her hand to his chest while they put as much effort and feeling they could gather into the song; stupid grins trying to break out across their faces all the while.

“ _He’s just a poor boy from a poor family, spare him his life from this monstrosity! //Easy come easy go will you let me go? Bismillah! No! We will not let you go! Let him go! Bismillah! We will not let you go!Let him go! Bismillah! We will not let you go! Let me go! Will not let you go! Let me go! Never let you go! Let me go! Never! Never let me go ooo!_ ” 

They sang at the top of their lungs, standing facing one another as they gestured towards the ceilings with their hands outstretched in almost supplication together; their faces conveying so much intensity that both Bucky and Steve were absolutely enamoured with the pair, absolutely struck speechless by their antics.

“ _No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Oh mama mia, mama mia - mama mia let me go! Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me - for me - for me!//_ “ They both trailed off in the absolute highest voices the super-soldiers had ever heard either of them make. 

The two were grinning from ear to ear as they watched both Tony and Percy put so much zeal and energy into the song, shaking their heads in clear shock and amusement at the two as they belted out the rest of the song together.

And then there was the brief but no less intense instrumental interlude with a killer guitar solo that had both Tony and Percy doing some serious head banging. Percy’s hair was flying and everything while they both rocked out while performing some rather amusing air-guitar before the song picked up and continued on.

“ _So you think you can stop me and spit in my eye!? So you think you can love me and leave me to die!? Ohh!! Baby! Can't do this to me baby! Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here!_ ” They sang to one another, still facing each other and belting out the lyrics.

Then as the guitar solo continued and the song started to slow, their demeanours seemed to calm some, both having clearly enjoyed being so enthusiastic with their singing. As it tapered off slowly, Tony drew her towards him by her good hand and pulled her in close, smiling stupidly fond and happy as he sang the last few lines of the song to her. She had ceased her singing as he started to sway with him, her hands now clasped at the back of his neck gently as his hands rest against her sides almost tentatively. 

“ _Ooh yeah, ooh yeah-//Nothing really matters, anyone can see. Nothing really matters…nothing really matters…to me_ ,” Tony sang quietly, still swaying with Percy pressing in close with a soft smile now gracing his features and Percy gazing back at him with an equally as fond and adoring smile upon her lips. 

Her eyes were wide and full of something Tony only hoped was what he thought it could be. “ _Anyway the wind blows_ ,” Percy murmured as the song drew to a close, their swaying slowly ceasing.

The silence in the apartment was so overwhelming for a moment and Percy found herself slowly drawing away, her cheeks heating as she let out a nervous chuckle, her hands slipping from the back of his neck. Tony likewise released her, his own cheeks slightly pink. He shook his head in disbelief. “Never pegged you for a Queen fan,” He tried to tease, but it felt a little forced.

He was still hung up on how she’d been singing to him, looking to him with something in her eyes that he desperately wished she could see reflected in his. Percy laughed lightly, shaking her head as she stepped away from him a touch, clearly embarrassed by the whole thing. 

“I actually _love_ Queen. Bohemian Rhapsody is obviously one of my favourites,” She smirked. “Thanks for singing it so wonderfully with me,” She winked. “You really know how to hit those high notes,” She teased playfully.

Tony cackled, shaking his head at her as he relaxed some. He was unable to contain his grin, however. “No one can hit those bloody notes but Freddie Mercury himself,” He admitted and Percy grinned wryly.

“Yeah, but it’s still fun listening to people try,” She said, her nose scrunching up a bit.

Tony smirked back, shaking his head in amusement. “Definitely amusing,” He chuckled, casting a quick glance towards Steve and Bucky over on the sofa.

The pair were watching them with huge smiles on their faces, Bucky’s bottom lip drawn between his teeth as he fought not to laugh, but then Steve seemed to give in and he no longer had the wherewithal to hide his own laughter.

The blonde’s amused laughter reached their ears and then Bucky’s too and Percy’s blush only intensified. “ _Oh my God-_ “ She gasped. “H-how long have you both been over there!?” She shouted nervously, reaching up and covering her face in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. 

Tony grinned from beside her as she turned towards the sound of their laughter. “A while,” Steve admitted and Bucky grinned over at his lover.

“Not as long as Stevie, but long enough to know that I love listenin’ to you sing,” Bucky told her with a smirk tugging at his lips. 

“ _Oh God-_ “ She muttered, shaking her head as her blush only deepened.

“I loved that one song you were singing, Percy. You kept calling out for Sherry?” Steve started to confess, only to be interrupted by Tony’s gleeful laughter.

“ _Oh my God!_ You like the _Jersey Boys!?_ ” Tony said amongst his laughter and Percy smiled so bright and beautiful, still looking so incredibly embarrassed by the whole thing as she shoved at him playfully. 

He went with her push, grinning widely and Steve and Bucky both laughed as they watched the two scuffle for a moment. “I happen to _love_ the Jersey Boys…and that song is a personal favourite, so lay off. My Dad always used to sing it to my Mom…her name was Sherry,” She confessed, biting her lower lip shyly.

Tony’s gaze softened and he smiled warmly across at her. “I guess that’s allowed then,” He murmured, tone light and reassuring.

She smiled at him, still blushing lightly. But then she was shaking her head. “ _Ugh_ , I’m so embarrassed,” She chuckled. “I’m not even dressed for tonight yet, I didn’t think anyone was going to be around for a couple more hours so I didn’t bother changing out of my grubbies,” She admitted.

Tony chuckled, shaking his head at her. She was just wearing a pair of black leggings and a white t-shirt. No socks or anything, but she looked so comfy and casual and he actually really enjoyed seeing her so comfortable and dressed down. 

It was a sight they’d been treated to a lot more recently while she’d been staying with them and it sort of made them feel as if she were maybe relaxing more around them. They liked to see her dressed up, sure. But they also liked to see the side of her not many were ever really lucky enough to see. She looked soft, warm, relaxed.

“You look lovely, Percy. You can get changed later, there’s still lots of time before everyone gets here for dinner,” Tony reassured her.

She nodded, letting out a sigh, but then Bucky was speaking up. “I wish I had recognized at least one of those songs you were singin’ or I’d a’ come and danced with you,” He muttered in only slight annoyance.

Percy laughed lightly, shaking her head as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You need someone to introduce you to some better music choices if you didn’t even recognize ACDC or Queen,” She said, faux disappointment colouring her tone.

Tony grinned and muttered, “She’s right, you know.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, huffing out a breath as he got to his feet and started towards her. “ _Yeah?_ Well, I bet I’ve got a slew of favourites and a ton of moves you’ve never even heard or danced before. I’m sure of it, _young one,_ ” He said in Russian, lips twitching into a smirk.

Percy bristled slightly, not sure what he’d just called her, but she knew it couldn’t be anything bad. She smirked at him, covering her momentary hesitancy. “Oh yeah? _Try me,_ ” She challenged, arching a brow at him.

Bucky grinned, casting a quick glance to Tony who was grinning manically as he bowed out, gesturing towards her and the open living room floor as he headed towards the edge of the kitchen to take a seat. “That a challenge, doll?” Bucky asked lowly, coming to a stop only a foot or so away from her. 

She bit her lower lip hard as she listened to the sound of his voice drop and had to stop the urge to shiver at the tone as it practically vibrated through her. She glared at him playfully. “What do you think?” She said in faux irritation, giving him an annoyed shrug. 

Bucky grinned, rolling his shoulders a bit. The whirring of his metal arm was loud in the suddenly quiet living room and he watched as a hint of nervousness flitted across her eyes. “Jarvis? Why don’t you put on one my favourites, would ‘ya?” Bucky asked lowly.

Percy smirked, nervousness fading as she braced herself. She expected something perhaps a bit more fast paced and no doubt a bit of fancy foot work was going to be necessary and she wasn’t disappointed. She’d heard all about Bucky’s old passion for dance halls thanks to Steve and she knew Bucky used to be one hell of a dancer. She was definitely eager to see if he had retained any of those memories. 

The second Jarvis had the song starting up, she had to force herself to stop the grin that wanted to break out across her face. And then Bucky was grasping her around the waist with his left hand and his right moved to tangle with her left as she reached up to settle her injured hand against his bicep.

“ _Out of the tree of life I just picked me a plum~//You came along and everything started in to hum~//Still it's a real good bet, the best is yet to come~_ ” Bucky sang in such a wonderful baritone that Percy found herself momentarily thrown and didn’t start singing right away as she’d intended.

His voice was so soothing, so warm and it comforted her in away she hadn’t expected. But by the second verse, she’d managed to regain her composure and trying to school herself, she tilted her face up towards the soldier and gave him a coy smile before singing along with him on the next verse. 

“ _Best is yet to come and babe won't that be fine?//_ “ Percy sang, managing to catch Bucky off-guard.

He grinned when he realized she did in fact know the song and decided to up his game as he started to lead her along a bit faster, twisting her out before drawing her back in again. And then they were both singing along. And _boy_ , was he ever impressed.

“ _You think you've seen the Sun but you ain't seen it shine~//_ “ They both sang together, their footwork still rather tame for the time being, but was increasingly growing more difficult.

“ _Wait till the warm-up's underway - wait till our lips have met -!_ “ Bucky sang the second with a little more feeling and Percy couldn’t help the smirk from tugging at the corners of her lips. “ _And wait till you see that sunshine day, you ain't seen nothin' yet~!_ ” Bucky belted out.

“ _The best is yet to come and babe won't it be fine//_ “ They sang together as the instrumentals in the song mounted in a lovely crescendo of trumpets for only a moment and then Bucky was twisting her out before drawing her back in towards him; pressing himself flush up against her back as he swivelled his hips along with her and continued to sing into her ear before twisting her out once again.

“ _The best is yet to come come the day you’re mine//Come the day you’re mine - I’m gonna teach you to fly - we’ve only tasted the wine - we’re gonna drain the cup dry~_ ” They sang to one another, really starting to get into the roles they were playing in the song; loving the closeness and the teasing nature of the lyrics.

He spun her out one more time and he watched with rapt attention as she drew her lower lip between her teeth for only a moment as she looked to him through lowered lashes, giving him a teasing smirk before the next verse in the song began.

“ _Wait till your charms are right for these arms to surround~!//_ “ She sang along with him, taking a step out of his grasp as she made a show of _well_ , making a show of herself.

She was nearly flaunting her body as she bent forward and drew her hands all the way up the length of her legs, twisting her hips and turning from him before she cast a teasing look over her shoulder and winked at him.

That had him grinning and wanting to swoop her up in his arms once again and he took a step towards her. “ _You think you've flown before but baby, you ain't left the ground//Wait ‘til you're locked in my embrace//Wait till I draw you near -_ “ 

At the mention of embrace, Bucky stepped in and grasped her good hand, reeling her back in towards him as he bent forwards, practically draping himself over her back with their arms wrapped around her front as he forced her to bend and dip in a sway with him.

He pulled her back up and spun her out again before drawing her back to their starting position, grinning wickedly at her rather flushed appearance as she continued to sing along with him. Her cheeks were a gorgeous pink he didn’t think had anything even _remotely_ to do with their level of exertion.

“ _Wait till you see that sunshine place, ain’t nothin' like it here!//The best is yet to come and babe won't it be fine~//The best is yet to come come the day you’re mine -_ “ They sang together lowly, Percy clearly trying to compose herself, her voice tapering off as she allowed Bucky to continue singing on his own.

“ _Come the day you’re mine…and you're gonna’ be mine…_ ” Bucky murmured the last bit as the song began to trail off, she already having ceased her singing and was looking up at him with nothing short of adoration and longing reflected in her eyes before she thought to hide it.

They came to a slow sway, Bucky’s hand splayed gently against her lower back whilst his other held her good hand, keeping her close. She was smiling so shyly, looking up at him through lowered lashes and Bucky had to bite his bottom lip hard enough to nearly draw blood to keep himself from blurting out something stupid right then.

Percy chuckled softly as they came to a stop, shaking her head at him. “So? Did I measure up?” She asked coyly. “Am I well versed enough in both music and dance?” She murmured, aiming for teasing as she arched a delicate brow at him.

Bucky grinned at her, shaking his head at her fondly. “You might be,” He acquiesced, but then he suddenly got a better idea. “But maybe you should dance with Stevie just to make sure,” He tried, casting a quick glance over towards the blonde.

Steve was sitting there on the sofa, eyes wide and back straight as he watched the pair dancing together. His lips parted, eyes becoming even wider at Bucky’s suggestion and he sputtered, trying to think of an excuse to not do…well, _that._

Percy laughed, slipping from Bucky’s grasp as she turned towards where Steve was still sitting. She smiled over at him, giving him a one shouldered shrug as she extended her injured hand towards him. “What do you say, Steve? Want to dance with me and show him I’m well versed?” She murmured, biting her lower lip teasingly as she waited for his reply.

Steve groaned, scrubbing his hand down his face as he nodded and reluctantly stood. He never would be able to say no to such a beautiful face and he prayed she’d never know that to be the truth. She chuckled at the response she got, listening to the blonde as he huffed and started towards her. 

“If it’s such a hardship-“ She started to tease, but was quickly cut off by his scoff.

“It’s definitely not a hardship, Percy. I’m just…I’m a _terrible_ dancer and Bucky sure as hell knows this,” He muttered in annoyance, casting his lover a very stern glare.

Bucky just grinned, bowing out and heading over to the edge of the kitchen where Tony had taken up residence on one of the island’s stools. “Oh, I’m sure that’s not true at all. Come on, pick a song and show me whatch’ya got,” She smirked, still reaching out to him.

He sighed, shaking his head in exasperation as he grasped her injured hand carefully before drawing her in close. She chuckled, letting him settle her casted hand against his shoulder and she let it drift down a bit to settle against his bicep. 

“Alright…but if I step on your foot, I’m sorry in advance and don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Steve all but grumbled and Percy chuckled, shaking her head at him.

“Relax, Steve. No fancy footwork necessary. Just sway with me, _sing_ to me,” She demanded playfully, letting her good hand find his own.

He smiled at her, his cheeks heating as he curled his hand tentatively around hers, pulling her in just a touch closer. She tilted her chin up towards him and he smiled warmly down at her before nodding, firming his resolve. 

“Alright, Percy. I’ll sing to you,” He agreed quietly. “Jarvis? Play _Something Stupid_ , if you please?” He asked quietly and Percy’s brows furrowed curiously, wondering if that was the title of the song or just a suggestion in general; she didn’t have to wonder for very long as the first few notes of a very familiar and well-loved song of hers came on.

This time, the second the vocals started up, Percy did begin to sing and Steve faltered for half a second before regaining his confidence and then some when he realized he had chosen a song that she knew. With renewed confidence, he started singing to her- _with her-_ more lively than before. 

“ _I know I stand in line until you think you have the time to spend an evening with me//And if we go someplace to dance, I know that there's a chance you won't be leaving with me//Then afterwards we drop into a quiet little place and have a drink or two//_ “ They sang together softly, swaying slowly in one another’s arms.

“ _And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like ‘I love you’//_ “ They continued, Steve’s beautiful deep voice sending shivers down her spine and her lashes fluttered almost closed as she breathed those wonderful words and heard him do the same in such a deep and all consuming baritone.

“ _I can see it in your eyes that you despise the same old lies you heard the night before//And though it's just a line to you, for me it's true and never seemed so right before~//_ “ They sang and Steve chanced trying to spin her out slowly.

Percy’s smile only widened at this and she went easily, allowing him to direct her in a slow twirl before coming back to him, her injured hand coming up to cup the back of his neck as his grip tightened ever so slightly on her other hand.

“ _I practice every day to find some clever lines to say to make the meaning come through//But then I think I'll wait until the evening gets late and I'm alone with you//The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red and oh, the night's so blue//And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like ‘I love you’~_ ” Percy’s voice fading into a soft murmur, her eyelids growing slightly heavy as the instrumental interlude began.

Steve pulled her along a touch easily after that, leading her in a slow circle as they pressed in closer to one another. He gazed down at her lovingly, wishing he could say those three simple words to her and have her return them without a song to hide themselves behind.

“ _The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red and, oh, the night's so blue~//And then I go and spoil it all by sayin' something stupid like ‘I love you’_ ,” They both sang once again, but Percy’s voice faded, her chin dipping towards the floor as she let him hold her closer, still singing with his lips hovering by her temple as he regarded her.

“ _I love you, I love you, I love you~_ ” Steve continued to sing as they came to a standstill, both not even having been aware that they’d stopped dancing and had been holding on to one another tightly for a small eternity as the song faded.

Steve closed his eyes for a moment in an attempt to collect himself after having watched her close her own. He took a slow breath and hesitantly pressed a kiss to her temple. She smiled faintly at the soft press of lips against her and she took a slow breath of her own. “How did you know that was one of my favourite Frank songs?” She murmured absently.

Steve smiled against her temple, a blush high on his cheeks as he whispered back, “I didn’t.”

Percy blinked in surprise, pulling away a bit to tip her face up towards him, looking to him unseeing. She wanted to say something, ask him why he chose that song, ask him what this was, what it all meant. She only hoped that she wasn’t reading into things that weren’t there, but she was almost positive, so sure that maybe her affections were returned…they _had_ to be. With the way they treated her, acted around her and just _everything_ …she was sure this was something more than just a platonic friendship between them.

She swallowed hard, unable to voice any of it as she stared up at him with wide eyes. But when she failed to say anything else and the silence in the apartment only grew, she caved and forced out a chuckle. “So, now that you all know I adore a good classic rock song as well as Frank and even _Jersey Boys,_ ” She huffed, rolling her eyes. “Do I measure up to your expectations as both a dancer and a singer?” She asked teasingly.

Bucky chuckled from off to her left and she turned her head towards the sound of his voice. “Yeah, doll. Definitely. Should take you out dancin’ some more. It’s been ages since I had a partner who could keep up with my fancy footwork.”

Percy chuckled, drawing herself away from Steve’s warm embrace, his hands having slipped from both her hip and her grasp as she did so. “Well, thank you, James. Then I suppose I’ll have to suggest some more rock music for you to listen to, to get _your_ musical library up to date. Can’t have you embarrassing me if a classic song comes on and you can’t keep up with _me,_ ” She teased.

Bucky grinned wryly at her, his gaze flickering over her features and watching as the flush continued to spread. He knew her bravado was feigned as he watched the slight tremor in her hand as she started away from Steve. “I should go and get dressed, don’t want to look like a bum when everyone arrives,” She said with a strained chuckle.

Bucky bit his lower lip, watching as Steve turned, looking as if he was about to go after her or finally fucking _say_ _something_. His face conveyed nothing but love and desire and he was obviously struggling not to blurt something out, probably those heavy words they _all_ wished they could say to her, but then he did say something.

“Hey, Percy?” Steve called, his voice laced with not only a question, but a hint of something Percy couldn’t quite identify.

She stopped, glancing towards him… _waiting_. “Yes?” She asked timidly, hoping beyond hope that this was it, that this would be the moment he said something- _anything-_ to settle her racing heart, her shaking hands.

Steve smiled coyly across at her. “Don’t forget your smoothie,” He murmured, glancing towards Tony and Bucky at the edge of the kitchen, her smoothie resting atop the counter between them.

Percy’s cheeks flushed an even darker shade of crimson and she nearly stuttered over words as she forced herself to calm her frantically beating heart and give him a wry smile in return. “You three enjoy it,” She said slowly, biting her lower lip hard as she tried not to let her disappointment show.

It didn’t quite work.

Steve bit his lower lip just as hard in an attempt to not blurt something out as he watched her, Tony and Bucky’s eyes wide and perhaps a bit shocked at their lover’s tease. “Be back shortly,” Percy tried to cover, turning her gaze from them as she headed towards her bedroom.

The second she was out of ear shot, Tony blurted, “That was evil, Steve.”

Bucky shook his head in disbelief. “That wasn’t only evil, it was downright _cruel_. That would have been a perfect opportunity. Why didn’t you say something?” He asked curiously, brows pinched.

Steve smiled over at his lovers gently, coming towards the kitchen where Tony was lifting Percy’s smoothie to his lips. “Wasn’t quite the right time yet, soon though,” He murmured, watching Tony take a sip of the smoothie Percy had made.

Bucky sighed, glancing between his lovers before Tony handed over the smoothie to him. He took a sip of his own before offering it to Steve. The blonde eyed it for a moment before taking it from his lover and raising it to his lips. And for a moment, Bucky thought it was odd how his best friend seemed to savour the taste and wondered if he’d somehow missed something.

Apparently he had, but he’d find out sooner rather than later.


	13. Thirteen

Percy cackled gleefully from her spot at the kitchen island, having returned from taking a quick shower and dressing up a bit nicer. Now clad in a pair of dark-wash blue jeans and a simple black button up blouse with three-quarter length sleeves-that she’d insisted she could get the buttons right on, despite whatever look she could have _sworn_ Parker was giving her as she’d dressed herself-she stood grinning widely at the three men as they stared at her looking rather dumbstruck.

All except for Steve, but she didn’t know that. “What’s so funny?” Bucky asked curiously.

Percy had casually asked if they’d saved her any of her smoothie and Tony and Bucky had chuckled and Bucky had said something to the affect of; “Well…to be fair…you said to enjoy it and honestly, we did-“ Bucky started, only to be interrupted by Percy’s gleeful laughter.

“ _Again-_ “ Tony started. “What’s so funny?” He asked curiously, brow furrowed and everything.

Percy was still laughing as she tried to calm herself, but then she was smirking darkly as she raised her good hand, looking like she was about to start counting off something on her fingers. “Want to know what was in it?” She smirked, still chuckling lightly.

Bucky and Tony both raised a curious brow at her and Steve had to smother his smile as he watched the three. “Uh…sure?” Bucky said uncertainly.

She bit her lower lip before she started ticking off her fingers as she listed all the ingredients. “Well, let’s see…there was yogurt, ice, honey, a banana, strawberries… _oh,_ and I almost forgot…” She said lowly giving them an evil grin. “ _Pomegranates_.”

Bucky and Tony’s eyes widened in surprise and Steve really had to fight the urge to grin then as the brunettes sputtered indignantly. But then Percy was smirking darkly as she bit down on her lower lip. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” She teased.

“I-I can’t believe-“ Bucky said in disbelief, eyes wide as he shook his head at her.

“You’re lying, you have to be. There’s no way,” Tony said faintly.

Percy smirked, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she held her head up high. “Serves you right for trying to slip pomegranates into my pancakes the other day,” She said matter of factly.

Steve couldn’t help chuckling at that, drawing her attention. She smiled at him and the blonde smiled back at her warmly. “Well, it would appear that she’s bested you at your own game,” He said, glancing towards his lovers.

Bucky’s eyes widened as he turned on him. “ _You knew!_ ” He gasped, pointing a metal finger at him. “ _That’s_ why you made that face,” Bucky blurted.

Steve’s cheeks heated and he shrugged, shying away from them and Percy as the young woman’s eyes widened. “I wasn’t 100% sure I’d seen her slip them in there,” He tried weakly, but Tony and Bucky were already shaking their heads at him; he never was good at lying.

Percy smirked, biting her lower lip slightly as she shook her head. “So, _now_ will you stop trying to get me to eat them?” She huffed.

Bucky and Tony’s echoing scoffs had her rolling her eyes soon enough and she huffed out a breath. “I won, just admit it. I won and you’re both too stubborn to admit defeat,” She said haughtily.

Tony rolled his eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips and glanced towards Bucky who was shaking his head at her incredulously. But then the soldier seemed to get an idea and his annoyance faded as a slow and teasing smile tugged at his lips.

“If you won, what exactly do you win?” Bucky asked her lowly, his voice dropping ever so slightly.

Percy’s expression shifted into something that could have been shock and was probably the closest thing to it they were going to see from her and Tony’s eyes widened at his lover’s words. “Don’t offer her a _prize!_ ” Tony blurted, shaking his head in disbelief.

Steve had moved a safe distance from the fray and had to smother his grin by biting down hard on his lower lip. He wondered where Bucky was going with this exactly, but apparently didn’t have to wonder for very long. “What do I win?” Percy asked curiously, her brows furrowing in confusion. “How about you two stop trying to get me to eat pomegranates?” She blurted. “And I know it was you two and not Steve who put them in the pancakes,” She went on.

Steve full-on grinned at that and Bucky and Tony glared at him. _Golden boy, Steve Rogers_. They both secretly thought to themselves. The pancakes had _totally_ been his idea. Bucky rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “No, come on, pick something else. What do you win, Percy?” Bucky asked and then decided to phrase it differently, “What do you _want?_ ”

Percy’s cheeks heated at the suggestive tone of voice he’d used and she shifted uncomfortably, arms still crossed in front of her chest. “I _want_ you to stop teasing me with the pomegranates-” She huffed, but Bucky _tsked_ at her, interrupting.

“Come on, doll. What do you _really want?_ ” Bucky tried again, his voice having turned slightly gravelly.

Percy’s cheeks heated even more so at the sound, the gorgeous flush spreading down her throat and she dropped her arms from in front of her. “What do I want?” She asked, her own voice having turned a bit timid- _questioning_ -and Bucky thought he’d finally won.

He bit his lower lip hard, shifting in his spot on the stool in front of her. He cast a quick glance towards Tony who was watching Percy like a hawk would watch its prey and then a look to Steve who was watching her heatedly, completely enamoured by the flush she was currently sporting. Bucky smirked, reaching out to grasp Percy’s good hand, his flesh and blood fingers grasping her wrist lightly.

She startled at the unexpected contact, but immediately settled as Bucky started to draw her closer to him, making her stand between his spread legs. She seemed to hesitate then and she turned her head away from him, feeling his eyes on her. She tried to steel herself, standing up a little taller and turning her head back towards him only a moment later, however.

“I think I should be asking you what it is you want me to want,” She said deviously, glaring playfully at him.

Bucky grinned. He liked this back and forth with her, the teasing. Tony always could get him riled like this, but to see Percy slip into that was admittedly a turn on. “I suppose we could go about it that way,” He said in response, his tone clearly unhappy with the thought as he continued to trace circles with his thumb against the inside of her wrist. 

“But this is technically your victory, so come on… What. Do. You. _Want?_ ” He asked, punctuating each word with a clear deliberateness, but on the last, he dragged his nail against the wildly beating pulse he could feel on the inside of her wrist. 

She swallowed hard, trying desperately to keep her composure, but the goosebumps that spread from where he’d scratched her lightly made her shiver and then immediately tense as warmth spread through her, right down into her core. “I want-“ She started, her blush only deepening. “I _want-_ “ She murmured, almost absently and Bucky swore she was leaning in towards him.

“ _Yes?_ ” He asked teasingly, just to be a bit of a dick; hoping she’d call him out on it.

Percy scowled at him, shaking her head as she blinked, seeming to collect herself. She pulled her wrist from his grasp and shook her head, crossing her arms in front of her chest once again. “ _Fine-_ “ She said in annoyance. “I want you to make me dinner tomorrow night, Tony can help you while Steve and I supervise. And I want a dessert made from scratch, preferably a pie and if you _dare_ put any pomegranates in it,” She mock threatened.

Bucky grinned widely at her, but before he could speak up, she was dropping her arms and then raising her hand to him as she started ticking more demands off on her fingers. “I want you to read me one of my favourite poems and then I want Tony to give me a foot rub and one of you’d better bath Parker, because he’s been getting kinda stinky,” She smirked “And he _hates_ bath time,” Percy continued gleefully and as if to confirm this, the pup whined at the mention of bath time from the safety of the sofa in the living room.

Tony and Bucky were both grinning from ear to ear as they shook their heads at her. “Is that all of your demands, _your_ _highness?_ ” Bucky had the gall to ask.

Percy guffawed at him before she smirked evilly as she shook her head, placing a hand on her hip as she jutted it out slightly. She tapped her chin absently with her injured hand, thinking about it for a moment longer. “ _No-_ “ She said firmly, her eyes practically twinkling with mischief. “I think I also want a kiss from both of you, you know, to round out all the _domestic bliss_ I’ve got planned for us,” She chuckled, hoping she sounded a bit daring.

“You _think?_ ” Tony said, managing to speak up before Bucky had managed to pick his slack jaw up off the floor at her latest demand.

Bucky barely had time to recover before Percy smirked darkly at the pair. “I _know_ I want a k-“ She started, but seemed to realize what Tony had managed to get her to say and she stuttered, seeming to catch herself. 

Tony grinned at her. “ _Ah?_ What was that?”

Percy was two-seconds away from scowling at the genius, but knew she had to keep her game face on. “I want a kiss as well,” She said as confidently as she could manage, hand still settled on her hip, her other having dropped to her side.

Bucky shook his head in disbelief, looking at her in awe. “So, let me get this straight… _we_ get to make you dinner and dessert… _Tony_ gets to give you a foot rub and _I_ get to read you poetry and we’d both be happy to bath Parker,” Bucky started to list off, a grin tugging at his lips. “And then _we’ll_ get to **_kiss you_** …and Steve gets to _supervise?_ ” Bucky asked curiously, barely managing to contain his glee.

Before Percy even had a chance to say anything in response-not that it would have been anything of note, probably just a bunch of stuttered _uh’s_ at the apparent _longing_ in Bucky’s voice-Steve’s quiet murmured, “ _You know_ …the pancakes were sort of my idea…” Reached their ears and Percy’s eyes widened in shock as she turned towards him.

“ _They_ _weren’t-_ ” She breathed in obvious incredulity. 

Steve smiled deviously at her, taking a step closer towards her as he reached out to brush a strand of her dark hair back behind her ear. “ _Mhm_ ,” He whispered. “All my idea…thought maybe you’d miss it first thing in the morning when you’re still all sleepy and doe eyed…” He murmured, biting down on his lower lip as he regarded her quietly for a beat.

“Guess I deserve to be punished for it just like these dorks…so, what do you say? Let me kiss you too and maybe our goddess of light will stay me from bringing you into our darkness?” He asked carefully, drawing his bottom lip between his teeth as he observed her, trying desperately to hold himself back.

Percy struggled to keep her composure, cracks clearly forming in her resolve as she blinked dazedly up at him. But then she took a slow breath, trying to be careful not to make it look so strained and deep as she swallowed hard and looked to him unseeing.

“It’s a little difficult to bring someone who is already immersed in darkness into it even further…perhaps we could drown in it together?” She murmured lowly, her voice hedging and yet so damn seductive.

Steve swallowed hard, not having thought he’d ever hear that kind of a response from her, let alone in that tone of voice. Tony and Bucky had practically stopped breathing as they watched the pair with wide eyes. Steve was standing so close to Percy now and the young woman was looking up at him with such a teasing, yet inviting look on her face and no one dared move a muscle in that instant.

Just as Percy was starting to think that she’d taken it too far, perhaps tested the boundaries a little too much, Steve surprised her. He reached out and cupped the side of her neck, pressing in closer as he leaned down close to her lips. The barest brush of his lips against hers had her inhaling sharply at the barely there contact and he couldn’t help smiling faintly at the reaction he’d garnered.

“Drown with me?” He asked in nothing more than a whisper.

A soft almost pained noise escaped her and then she was closing that tiny bit of distance, pressing her lips against his in a bruising kiss. Steve’s breath left him as he leaned in that much more and kissed her plush lips back just as hard, just as desperate. He felt her lips begin to part and he immediately parted his own, his tongue slipping out to press teasingly into her mouth.

She was so surprised by the first swipe of his tongue against hers that she gasped, her hands coming up and tangling in his hair, her cast bumping against his temple gently. A groan slipped from him, swallowed up by her eager lips as her fingers slipped through his hair, nearly tugging him down towards her. He wound an arm around her waist, drawing her flush against his front as she started to deepen the kiss, needing to have her closer.

Her tongue slipped past his lips eagerly, but then he was drawing back slightly and nipping at her bottom lip as he tried to calm himself down. He didn’t want to overwhelm her, even if it felt like she was the one starting to overwhelm him. They parted, their breathing having increased and Percy’s eyes flashed open, wide as saucers as she stared up at him in absolute shock. She hadn’t exactly expected to share a kiss like that with him…

“ _I-_ “ She barely managed to breathe, trying to find at least a word of English to help her. 

Her hands slipped from his hair as he’d pulled back and were now clutching weakly at the front of his t-shirt. “I’m in love with you,” He breathed, but it came out as more of a breathy gasp than anything as he stared at her longingly.

Percy’s eyes seemed to become so much rounder at this as she stared up at him. “I’ve been in love with you for _months_ ,” He confessed, swallowing hard and trying to even out the awful quiver in his voice.

Percy could barely breathe as she stared up at him with dark eyes, but she looked so hesitant and almost afraid and Steve’s arm tightened around her reflexively, the hand against the side of her neck just stroking her in reassurance.

“ _Fairytales_ ,” She suddenly whispered and Steve’s gaze softened, but before he could voice his opinion on the matter of fairytales, Tony spoke up.

“They do exist, Percy. Just took you a while to find yours,” Tony murmured from beside her.

She swallowed hard, listening to Steve’s steady breathing as he continued to hold her. She could hear Tony’s own breathing from just beside them and then she heard the sound of a stool being pushed back. Before she had a second to fathom who had moved from their spot, she felt a solid presence moving behind her; Bucky’s metal hand grasping her hip lightly as his flesh and blood hand pushed her long hair aside to bare the side of her neck.

Steve’s hand slipped from her neck then and there was a soft press of lips against the side of her throat, his stubbled cheek brushing against her sensitive skin. She breathed in shakily, closing her eyes against the wave of emotions and sensations running through her. “I never believed in fairytales either,” Bucky murmured against her skin. “But then you three came along,” He whispered. “Do you believe in them now?” Bucky asked her, lips still pressed to her skin, delighting in the warmth of her and the goosebumps that had risen up along her like wildfire.

Percy was shaking in their grasp, the two realized belatedly and she swallowed hard in an attempt to dislodge the lump in her throat, blinking quickly as she turned her head away from his teasing lips. “T-that depends,” She nearly gasped, her cheeks stained a beautiful crimson.

“ _On?_ ” Tony prompted, having stood as well and taken a step closer to the three of them.

Bucky’s lips left her throat and she turned her head in the direction of Tony’s curious voice. “Wether or not this is a dream and I’ve somehow fallen asleep or I’m-“ She started, her voice rising as she began to panic, but she was quickly interrupted by Tony’s soft huff of laughter as he pressed in closer to her.

She blushed furiously as she felt Tony slip in and take Steve’s place, the blonde muttering something under his breath at having been nudged aside. “This isn’t a dream,” Tony whispered as he leaned in, pressing a kiss to her inviting mouth.

She nearly whimpered at the first press of his lips against hers and had to cut the embarrassing sound short as his lips pressed insistently against hers, the soft scratch of his goatee feeling absolutely _delightful_ against her chin. Her lips parted almost instantly as he pressed in closer to her while Bucky’s hand was still grasping her hip, a reassuring presence at her back. 

Tony’s hands wound into her long hair in such a wonderful way and she very nearly moaned as he urged her gently towards him. She practically melted against him as he then slipped his tongue past her parted lips and into her glorious mouth while her hands had somehow managed to wind up clutching at the front of his no doubt expensive dress shirt.

Tony stuttered out a breath against her lips and he couldn’t help cupping the side of her face to deepen the kiss, his other hand still wound in her hair. “It’s not a dream,” Bucky murmured against her ear, kissing her hair before he inhaled deeply. 

“We love you, Percy. We want you-“ He started to say, but then she was whimpering and breaking the kiss that Tony was trying wholeheartedly to deepen. 

She tried to pull away, to give herself some distance from them, but then Steve was there and grasping her wrists-mindful of her cast-as he tugged them backwards. She was forced to take a step back into him, her back now flush against his front as he drew her arms up over her head; making her bend them back over her shoulders as he pinned them in place with one of his large calloused hands above her head.

She was shaking badly, her cheeks stained crimson and the flush only spreading, _deepening_. “It isn’t a dream,” Steve repeated, trying to soothe her as Tony stepped up towards her again, leaning in to brush his nose against hers gently. 

She blinked quickly, so surprised at the way Steve was handling her, holding her, practically _restraining_ her. Her body was arched, taught as a bowstring, the curve of her spine making her look so incredibly _desperate_ and she couldn’t help the whimper from escaping her then at their words. 

“It’s-it’s not a dream?” She asked in disbelief, sounding so hopeful.

“It’s not a dream,” Bucky reassured, watching his lovers try and soothe her. 

Tony let her tilt her head to the side, her eyes drifting shut before he nosed in against her ear and along her jaw line, nipping as he went. She was shaking and Bucky wondered if her legs were going to give out with the way they appeared to wobble ever so slightly, but he knew Steve would catch her if they did. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and stepped up before her, Tony shifting to accommodate him.

Steve was pressing kisses along the bared part of her wrist, even along her fingertips of her casted wrist and Bucky couldn’t help smiling at the tender way his lovers were treating her, yet seemed to be exuding a tremendous amount of control over her. He wondered if she liked that, wondered if she liked being in a submissive position or if she would be the dominant type, if given the chance.

He himself tended to be rather submissive, but he was never one to know when to shut up in bed and was constantly teased for being a bossy bottom. He’d been told that often enough by his partners to know it must be true. 

“I never-I never thought you would actually love me back,” She confessed in a breathy whisper and their hearts clenched collectively.

“ _Percy_ ,” Steve murmured as he kissed at her bared wrist, holding his lips against her heated flesh.

“I had hoped,” She went on, swallowing past the lump in her throat as she tried to continue. “I hoped that all the flirting, all the _missed_ _kisses_ and just _everything_ was something more. But I never dared to hope that it could be _-_ “ She breathed,gasping as Tony pressed up against her front, his hands caressing her sides as his lips found her pulse point beating wildly beneath the bared skin of her throat.

Steve groaned softly from behind her at that and Bucky couldn’t help licking his lips at the sight they presented. “ _Love?_ ” Bucky finished for her.

Percy whimpered loudly as she breathed out, “ _Yes_.”

“We love you more than anything,” Steve whispered, burying his face into her hair and just breathing deeply; he loved the way she smelt.

“We love you so much, Percy,” Tony murmured against her throat before slowly drawing back to survey her. 

She was shaking something awful and Tony smoothed his hands down her sides in an attempt to calm her, but that only seemed to make her tremble harder, her breathing speeding up. “ _Shhh_ ,” Steve tried to console as he pressed a kiss to her temple. “We’ve got you.”

Percy swallowed hard, choking back yet another desperate sound as she shook her head, blinking quickly. “You-you have no idea what this is _like-_ “ She gasped, her voice breaking off into something none of them had expected; a choked sob.

Steve immediately released his grasp on her wrists, letting her return her arms to her sides. He tried to turn her towards him, but then Bucky’s worried gaze had him freezing and the brunette was drawing her towards him carefully instead. Both of his hands were skimming along her biceps in an attempt to calm her and she blinked rapidly as she tried to steel herself.

“What’s the matter?” Bucky asked nervously, glancing towards both Steve and Tony who were watching her with nothing short of the most wounded and frightened looks on their handsome faces.

“I-I’m sorry-this is-it’s just so _utterly overwhelming,_ ” She gasped, shaking her head as she pulled herself from his wandering hands.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky cut in quickly, removing his hands from her arms as she shied away. “I-we didn’t mean to overwhelm you,” He swore.

But Percy shook her head, laughing a little. “It’s-it’s so hard to explain,” She admitted and Bucky’s gaze softened.

“Try, sweetheart. We want to make sure you’re alright,” He insisted.

She nodded, still trembling something fierce and tried to take a steadying breath. “I’m not used to so much contact,” She said weakly. “When you’re in the dark…like I am…it’s-every bit of contact with someone else is so much more _intense_. Having all three of you press in on me like that…it’s…” She started nervously.

“ _Overwhelming,”_ Bucky murmured in understanding.

Percy nodded and Tony and Steve were immediately apologizing. Percy smiled nervously at them, shaking her head. “Please don’t ever apologize again for something like that,” She said in exasperation, biting her lower lip hard. “I just…I can’t handle all three of you at once…” She said uncomfortably, her cheeks doing their best impression of a tomato right then.

The three men couldn’t help chuckling, Tony’s laughter sounding suspiciously like a snicker at her confession and then Bucky was tentatively reaching out for her hand in an attempt to distract her-or you know, keep her from smacking Tony-which was most likely about to become a real possibility with the way she suddenly scowled over at the genius.

At the timid contact, Percy slipped her hand into Bucky’s and he tugged her towards him. She let him bring her in close and then she was tipping her chin up towards him, her eyes shifting as if she were really trying to see him. 

“I love the three of you too, you know,” She said quietly. “More than anything.”

Bucky swallowed, glancing over her shoulder at both Steve and Tony who were looking at them both with such hopefulness reflected in their eyes. “Love you too, doll… _so much_ ,” He whispered, leaning in a touch closer, his flesh and blood hand moving to caress the side of her neck lightly as he pressed a kiss to her plush lips.

She inhaled shakily against him as he did so, her eyes fluttering closed as he nipped at her bottom lip teasingly before letting his tongue swipe across in a silent question. Her hands were quickly reaching out for him, her injured hand coming up to settle against his chest while her other cupped the side of his face. He couldn’t help smiling faintly against her lips and then she was parting her own for him.

He groaned-an almost pained sound from deep in his chest-as he pressed his tongue against hers and the soft whimper that escaped her had his blood pounding in his ears as he fought to keep himself from pressing her too much, afraid of overwhelming her again. He kept the kiss light, trying not to deepen it too much and instead let her control the pace. She didn’t seem to mind and kissed him back just as eagerly, though clearly showing some restraint of her own.

The kiss ended naturally after a few moments, Percy giving his bottom lip one last parting kiss as she pulled free of his tempting mouth and instead nuzzled against his neck, inhaling deeply. He smiled, caressing her back as he held her close. “You’re so beautiful, so incredible,” Bucky murmured, just holding her against him.

She smiled against his neck as she murmured, “I’m just me.”

“There’s no _just_ about you,” Steve told her from just behind them, having drawn Tony into his arms as they watched Percy and Bucky share such an intimate moment.

Percy flushed, biting her lower lip as she pulled back. “So…” She whispered, uncertainly.

“So?” Bucky returned lightly.

She bit her lower lip, removing herself from his grasp as she turned to face the three of them as best as possible. “I’ve…I don’t really think I know much about what a polyamorous relationship entails…” She said, trailing off uncertainly.

The three men chuckled and she bit her lower lip nervously. “Well, we don’t have much of a clue either,” Tony admitted with a gentle smile. “We sort of just go with the flow.”

“ _Wing it_ ,” Steve agreed easily.

Percy chuckled, biting her lower lip as she rubbed her arm nervously. “Doesn’t sound like much of a plan coming from the supposed, _man with a plan_ ,” She teased.

Bucky grinned at her, his hands skimming down her arms, just wanting to touch. “That’s what I said, _but hey-_ “ He murmured, biting his lower lip. “It can be whatever you want it to be…if foot rubs, dinners, desserts, doggy baths and kisses are still on the table…I’d like to offer all of the above and then some,” He tried, reaching up and pushing some of her hair back behind her ear.

Percy laughed, reaching up to cover her adorably shy smile as she looked towards him. But then her gaze softened, her hand slipping from its place over her mouth and she gave them a shy smile as her gaze strayed to the floor. “I’ll give you all anything and everything I have to give,” She murmured. “If you’ll let me…”

The three men shared a look with one another, all forcing themselves to swallow past the sudden lumps that tried to lodge themselves in their throats. “Only if you’ll let us do the same,” Steve murmured in response. 

She smiled tentatively, raising her unseeing gaze towards the sound of his voice. “Always,” She whispered. 

“ _Always_ ,” The three said in unison, smiles on their faces and gazes soft and adoring.

“So,” Tony murmured after a beat and Percy looked to him, raising a brow at him curiously. “Will you be our girlfriend?” He asked hopefully.

Percy’s cheeks heated as she bit down hard on her bottom lip in an attempt to smother her smile. “Only if you three will be my boyfriends,” She barely dared to breathe. 

They’d barely managed to blurt _yes_ in no doubt the most heartfelt gasps she’d heard from them, before the elevator was dinging at its sudden arrival and out stepped Natasha, Bruce and Clint into the living room. Bruce was carrying a few wrapped presents in his arms while Clint and Natasha handled the no doubt exorbitant amount of food Tony had them go and pick up.

As soon as the three had taken a look at the scene before them, their idle chit chat that had begun in the elevator tapered off and Natasha raised an inquisitive brow as they stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the four…who seemed to immediately all turn and pretend to be busy with something or other.

“It’s about time,” Natasha said calmly, sidling up to Percy as the young woman quickly turned away from Tony and the others to help them prepare for dinner.

Percy bit her lower lip hard, casting the woman a nervous glance. “I’m not sure what you mean…” She tried to be nonchalant, giving the woman a shrug.

“Don’t even,” Natasha threatened, amusement colouring her voice as she smirked and Percy couldn’t help containing her smile as she busied herself with unpacking some of the food, trying to ignore the comment for the time being.

A few minutes later, Tony had put on some music in the living room, they’d opened a couple of bottles of wine and conversation was flowing freely and all seemed to be right in the world. Percy was smiling far more than usual, as were Steve, Bucky and Tony…but no one commented, for the most part. 

“Pepper should be here soon with a treat. She said she couldn’t make dinner because of her flight, but she should be here shortly,” Tony informed them all as they settled in to start enjoying their dinner.

“Oh-“ Percy said in surprise. “She’s _flying_ in?” 

Tony nodded, sipping casually at his glass of wine. “Mhm, had to make an impromptu visit to Malibu, I think she said.”

Percy blinked. “If she was busy, she really didn’t have to come in for my silly birthday.”

Tony rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “She wanted to be here, Percy. _Relax_ , she’ll be happy to see you. I know it’s not been any trouble for her,” He reassured.

Percy nodded, swallowing hard. She liked Pepper, but she suddenly felt a touch nervous about seeing the woman. She had heard so many rumours about Pepper and Tony having been an item some time ago and although she knew if it were true, it had been years ago, it still made her a bit apprehensive. 

She knew Tony had happily been with Bucky and Steve for almost four years or so now and she wondered if Pepper would be upset with her for slipping into a relationship with the three men, seemingly right out of the blue.

She needn't have worried, however. The group was just tidying up dinner, they all insisting that Percy not touch the dishes or lift a finger in general. “It’s your birthday party!” Tony cried as she tried to help load the dishes into the dishwasher.

Percy rolled her eyes, chuckling as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “So? I can still help tidy up,” She said, but Tony interrupted her with a scoff.

“Now what kind of _boyfriend_ would I be if I let the birthday girl do dishes at her own party?” He said in exasperation, making sure to say it loud enough for pretty well _everyone_ to hear.

Percy’s cheeks immediately flushed and he couldn’t help smirking. It was the exact reaction he’d hoped for. Bucky and Clint snickered from behind her and her look of surprise had quickly changed to mild annoyance before she was biting her lower lip and reaching out to try and shove him gently.

He laughed, grasping her wrist lightly and pulling her towards him. “I’m sorry, _not sorry_ …I couldn’t resist,” He confessed amidst his light laughter.

She smirked, turning her head away from him as she rolled her eyes, trapped lightly in his grasp as he pulled her against him. “I’m not sure Thor heard you, maybe you should say it a bit louder next time,” She muttered, although clearly amused.

Tony very nearly cackled and she heard the rest of the little group chuckle softly as well. “Jane did say he’d be here tonight, he told her he didn’t want to miss your birthday. I wonder if he’ll bring you back something nice from Asgard,” Tony wondered aloud.

But Percy shook her head. “I don’t need any gifts.”

“ _Ah_ , but what’s a birthday without presents?” Tony asked, dragging her over towards the living room.

“It’s still a birthday, Tony,” She muttered, rolling her eyes. “I really hope none of you actually got me presents.”

“Oh we definitely did,” Clint said excitedly, moving over towards the coffee table to pick up the presents Bruce had carried up with them.

“ _You guys_ ,” Percy whined.

The group merely smiled and Tony sat her down on the sofa before sitting a ways away in the recliner, watching as Clint handed one of the presents over to Bruce. Bruce accepted the present, a wooden box of sorts and cleared his throat a bit as he came and sat down next to Percy. The young woman turned to face him and he smiled nervously across at her.

“I uh, got you something I thought you might enjoy. Though I suppose that’s sort of the idea of presents…so, happy birthday, Percy,” Bruce said quietly, placing the box gently in her lap.

Percy’s hands immediately came up to settle over the box, her cheeks flushing as she smiled nervously at the man. “Go ahead,” He said softly to her, urging her to open it.

She nodded, her fingertips skimming over the box carefully until she found what appeared to be the front where there was a metal latch. She carefully opened it and immediately took a deep breath as a lovely mixture of scents enveloped her. “Oh,” She said in surprise, pushing the lid open fully. “Is this-?” She started to ask, her fingertips searching out the contents of the box. 

Her fingertips met with little packets lined up so neatly and the smells were absolutely intoxicating. “Tea,” Bruce said. “All hand sorted into mesh tea-bags and ready for you to use…I know how much you seem to enjoy fruit teas especially, so I went to one of my favourite specialty tea shops and selected some I thought you might like.”

Percy’s eyes were wide as she turned her unseeing gaze back to him. “ _Bruce,_ ”She said in surprise. “That…you didn’t have to go through so much trouble-this is-this is _wonderful_ ,” She confessed.

Bruce simply smiled at her, watching as her fingers continued to flit over the dozens of hand picked teas. He shrugged. “It was honestly no trouble at all, I hope you enjoy them.”

She smiled softly at him and nodded. “Of course I will, thank you so much. You’ll have to try some with me later.”

Bruce chuckled, giving her a warm smile. “Sounds good.”

Percy smiled, shaking her head as she turned her attention back to the box. She couldn’t help leaning down and inhaling deeply, enjoying all the fruity scents she could smell. “Thank you so much,” She whispered again, carefully closing the lid on the box.

“It was no trouble. I’m glad you like it,” Bruce said quietly. “Here, let me put it in the kitchen for you,” He said, moving to take the box from her as she lifted it.

She whispered her _thank you’s_ once more and Bruce just smiled and sidestepped the rest of the Team whom were all smiling happily at them. But then Clint was clearing his throat as he plopped himself down on the coffee table directly in front of her, all smiles as per usual. Percy’s attention was quickly on him and then he was reaching out and pressing something warm and soft into her hands.

She blinked, sitting back in surprise at the first brush of fabric against her knuckles and her brow furrowed curiously. “This is from Nat and I,” Clint said, watching as Percy’s hands wrapped timidly around the bundle of fabric; the striking contrast of her pink cast standing out against the material.

Percy pulled the bundle closer to her, her good hand skimming over it as she tried to figure out what it was and then the little furrow between her brow smoothed out and she smiled so brightly as some of the fabric unfolded. “Is it a blanket?” She asked excitedly, already moving to try and unfold more of it.

Clint and Natasha chuckled. “It’s a quilt,” Clint told her quietly, watching as she unfolded it fully and draped it over her legs. 

She was beaming, her cheeks slightly pink as she smoothed her good hand over the soft fabric, just feeling all the squares and how they had been stitched together, while her injured hand’s fingertips toyed with the edges. “This is so lovely, it’s so _warm_ ,” She said in awe. “W-what colour is it?” She asked curiously.

Natasha smiled across at the young woman, having moved to sit down next to Clint on the coffee table. “It’s mostly ivory with soft yellow flowers,” Natasha told her.

“Orchids, actually,” Clint interjected.

Percy’s head snapped towards them. “Orchids are my favourite flower,” She said in surprise, seeming to clutch the blanket even tighter to her chest.

Clint and Natasha both smiled. “Then it was a good choice,” Natasha murmured.

Clint chuckled then, drawing the group’s attention. “And you wanted to get her a _taser_ ,” He muttered.

The surprise bark of laughter that escaped Percy at that had the rest of the Team laughing loudly. But Natasha just smirked. “Who said I didn’t get her one?” The red-head said matter of factly, shifting to pull a little device from her back pocket.

“Here,” Natasha said, reaching out to grasp Percy’s good hand. 

The young woman let go of the quilt and arched an inquisitive brow as Natasha pressed a small item into her hand, no larger than a tube of lipstick. “Uh-“ She said quietly as Natasha helped her hold it safely.

“You never know when you’re going to need to knock someone on their ass, so I thought you’d best have one to protect yourself,“ Natasha told her with a casual shrug.

Percy blinked, clearly surprised, but she was still smiling nonetheless. “There are three settings, though there’s a safety on it for now,” Natasha went on.

“I didn’t think they made them this small…or with _settings_ ,” Percy chuckled, missing the devious grin Natasha shot Tony at that.

“They don’t,” Natasha said easily.

“But I do,” Tony said. “Special order only.”

Percy huffed out a laugh, shaking her head as she clasped her hand around the item, wondering how it worked exactly. “Here’s the safety,” Natasha said, guiding her hand. “It’s actually disguised as a tube of lipstick, so if you pop the lid, it won’t open, not really, but it will detach slightly and this little thing here-“ Natasha said, letting Percy pop open the top. “Pops open and the little metal prongs are then showing.”

Percy laughed, shaking her head. “And the settings?” She asked curiously.

“ _Ah_ ,” Natasha murmured lowly. “The switch right above your thumb, feel it?”

Percy nodded as she slid her thumb along a bit as Natasha’s hand fell away. She could feel a ridged button and she pushed at it and it clicked once. “The first setting’s just for fun, _honestly_ -“ Natasha started. “Just a little jolt to get their attention…” The red-head murmured teasingly.

Percy’s lips quirked and she flicked the switch forward again to presumably the next setting. “That one’s got a bit of a kick to it…it’ll definitely get your attacker to notice you,” Natasha told her darkly, drawing her lower lip between her teeth as she looked over towards Clint who was starting to show signs of a blush high on his cheeks.

“And this one?” Percy asked, flicking the switch up to the last setting, the switch stopping as it came to its end.

She couldn’t help feeling like she was missing something, however, when Natasha next spoke. “That one…will have them flat on their back and just _begging_ for you to give them some relief,” The red-head muttered darkly, gaze intently focused on Clint at her side who was sporting such a deep blush as he did his best to hold his lover’s gaze.

“Finished the final testing this morning, did you?” Tony said, with what was most definitely a terribly teasing grin plastered across his face as the rest of the group desperately tried to contain their own.

But instead of Natasha answering him, Clint cleared his throat slightly. “ _Yep_ ,” He said, popping the ‘p’, with a cheeky smile on his face, blush still noticeably present.

Percy’s brows furrowed as she clicked the setting level back down to the lowest and then put the safety back on, closing the device. She cocked her head slightly as she listened to the sound of Clint’s voice. “Uh…am I missing something?” She asked warily, nearly squinting in her confusion.

Tony and apparently Bucky couldn’t restrain themselves any longer and promptly descended into a fit of giggles that had Percy’s brows raising rather high as she listened to them. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, Percy,” Natasha said with a smirk tugging at her lips, reaching out and patting Percy’s knee lightly. “I hope you like your presents.”

Percy chuckled nervously, nodding as she fiddled with the taser and pulled the blanket they’d given her closer to her chest. “I do, thank you both so much. These were very thoughtful gifts,” She told them earnestly.

Natasha and Clint smiled at her warmly. “We’re glad you like them,” Clint said, moving to get up, Natasha as well.

Percy smiled, reaching out towards where she thought Natasha was. The red-head glanced down at her outstretched hand and smiled as Percy’s fingertips brushed her elbow. She looked like she wanted a hug. Natasha smiled warmly before moving to wrap her arms around the young woman in a gentle hug. 

“Thank you,” Percy murmured, still clutching the blanket and taser in her good hand. 

Natasha simply smiled before drawing away. “Happy birthday, Percy.”

Percy smiled shyly and nodded before turning towards where she thought Clint was. “You get a hug too and where’s Bruce? I owe him one too,” She chuckled.

Before long she’d managed to successfully hug both men and just as she was about to slip the taser into her back pocket, she thought better of it. “You know what? I think I’d better go put this away, just in case,” She laughed, toying with the weapon and Bucky, Tony and even Steve had to do their best to ignore how seeing her holding any kind of a weapon was such a turn on.

The group chuckled and Percy set her new blanket down over the back of the couch before ducking out of the room towards her bedroom. She was smiling so happily to herself as she searched for her purse, finding it right where she’d left it on her dresser. She opened the side pocket and slipped her new taser inside for safe keeping, hoping that she’d never actually have to use it, but happy to know that she had it in case it were ever necessary.

Humming softly to herself, she headed back out into the living room to find Steve and Bucky playing with Parker while the others laughed and enjoyed their wine as they listened to Parker bark and huff happily. She smiled, shaking her head gently as she made her way towards the sound of the group. She came and leaned against the back of the couch, just enjoying all the noise of her rather unlikely bunch of friends.

Not a moment later, the elevator was dinging at its arrival and out popped Pepper with a bright smile on her face as she carried a couple of bags and a rather large cake box. “ _Hello!_ ” She called, her gaze flickering over the group and all their smiling faces.

“Pepper!” Tony called back. “Welcome to the party!” He greeted excitedly.

Pepper laughed as the genius ventured over to her and helped relieve her of her gifts. “Happy birthday, Percy,” She greeted, looking over Tony’s shoulder to see the young woman heading towards her. 

“Thank you, Pepper and thank you so much for coming,” Percy greeted, all smiles and sincerity as she approached the older woman.

“Thank you for having me, sweetheart. I come bearing gifts of course, so here, Tony, you go and set up the dessert while I give Percy her present,” She said excitedly. 

Percy’s cheeks heated almost instantly as Pepper suddenly grasped her good hand and started dragging her over towards the living room and thus the rest of the group. Tony laughed and went and set the cake box down in the kitchen for a moment before joining them thereafter. 

“You really didn’t have to get me anything,” Percy tried weakly, biting her lower lip as Pepper guided her over towards the sofa.

Pepper chuckled, shaking her head as she made Percy sit down and promptly sat down beside her. She set one of the bags she had brought along with her on the floor for a moment before reaching inside and pulling out a box.

“Oh nonsense, of course I brought the birthday girl a gift. I heard you just turned _twenty-nine,_ ” Pepper smirked and Percy laughed lightly.

“Why, y _es I did_ ,” She agreed, chuckling as she tried to keep her beautiful smile from getting any bigger.

Pepper laughed, shaking her head gently before settling the box against Percy’s lap. “Go on, open it,” She urged.

Percy smiled, shaking her head a bit as she shifted the lid off the box and set it aside. Her brows furrowed curiously as she reached inside and then she was groaning. “Are these _shoes?_ ” She asked hopefully.

Pepper smirked, her nose scrunching up a bit. “Maybe?”

Percy couldn’t help smiling brightly as she pulled out a pair of what definitely felt like stilettos. She groaned loudly, turning her head towards the woman and gave her the most adoring smile as she clutched them to her chest. “ _Pepper_ ,” She whined.

Pepper laughed delightedly. “I heard you like to wear heels and I thought you might like something a little more _daring_ ,” She said teasingly.

Percy bit her lower lip hard in an attempt to stifle her grin as she started to trace along the very steep curve of the heel and then down the fine point of the stiletto. “Oh wow,” She breathed. “That’s certainly a steep arch…” She said, her fingers moving up to trace along the almost scalloped edge of the shoe where it would cup her heel.

Pepper chuckled. “I know they’ll fit you like a glove, sweetheart. I hope you like them.”

“Oh I do,” Percy said quickly. “Thank you so much, Pepper. These are lovely.”

Pepper smiled, helping Percy to pack them back up in their box. “What colour are they by the way?” Percy asked curiously.

Pepper smiled, setting the box on the coffee table in front of them. “They’re a glossy black with a red sole, so it’s a lovely pop of colour while the insert is beige,” Pepper told her easily.

Natasha groaned as she finally managed to get a look-see at the box, having been distracted by Clint gesturing towards a small box at Pepper’s feet. “Are those _Laboutin’s?_ ” She asked dazedly and she sounded _so jealous_.

Percy’s eyes widened and she turned to face Pepper in obvious shock. But Pepper shrugged, smirking to herself as she rose from her spot on the sofa and started heading towards the kitchen to help ready the cake. Natasha was grinning darkly as she pulled the lid off the box to take another look at them and Percy shook her head in disbelief.

“ _Pepper_ ,” She started nervously. “If those are Laboutin’s I’m never going to wear them out of the house!”

Pepper laughed delightedly, shaking her head. “Oh yes you will. They’ll look lovely on you, I’m sure,” She insisted.

Percy rolled her eyes, amused, but no less shocked by the woman’s extravagant gift. Natasha was still busy admiring the shoes when Bucky let out a low whistle. “Those are definitely some killer heels you got there, Percy,” He murmured, his eyes darkening as he thought about Percy wearing only those and nothing else.

Percy chuckled softly, reaching out for the box, but Natasha placed one of the pumps into her outstretched hand instead. Percy smiled, letting the heel dangle from her fingertip precariously. “Oh I bet they are, I wonder if I could even walk in these. I don’t think I’ve ever worn a pair this high before,” She confessed.

“Maybe you should try them on?” Came Steve’s timid suggestion; looking awkward and maybe a bit more turned on than he’d ever care to admit at the thought of her wearing heels like _that_ and pretty well the entire room turned to look at him, eyebrows raised and knowing smirks tugging at their lips. 

Percy laughed, her cheeks flushing a bit as she looked to him unseeing. “Maybe later,” She said and gave the blonde a wink.

Steve’s cheeks heated adorably and he cleared his throat as he looked away from her, unable to hide a soft chuckle of his own. “Cake time!” Pepper suddenly announced and soon the group was heading into the kitchen and gathering around the cake Pepper had brought along with her.

They enjoyed the cake immensely, Percy doing her best to dissuade them all from singing happy birthday to her, but to no avail. After they all finished their cake and started in on yet another couple bottles of wine, Pepper sidled up next to Tony and gave his shoulder a gentle nudge with her own.

“Hey,” Tony said quietly, looking to her as she raised a small box towards him. “This it?”

“It is…I hope you like it,” Pepper murmured, letting him take the box from her.

He obviously couldn’t help taking a quick peek and his smile only grew. He shut the box quickly and gave her a warm smile. “It’s beautiful, thank you, Pep. I really do appreciate you getting this for us,” He told her earnestly.

“It was no trouble at all, Tony,” She told him, casting a glance towards Percy as she chatted with Steve and Bucky with Parker sitting at her feet, tail wagging as he listened to them chatting away. “She’s a lucky woman,” She said quietly.

Tony looked towards Percy, unable to help the smile on his face before turning his gaze back to Pepper as she looked to him once again. “And you’re a lucky man…as are they,” She murmured. 

“I know, Pep. I really do-“ He started, but she silenced him with a sigh.

“Don’t screw this up, Tony. If you three are as serious about her as I think you are, then you need to make sure you’re actually there for her,” She said quietly.

Tony swallowed hard, brows pinched a little as he regarded her. “Of course we will be, Pep.”

Pepper nodded, looking back towards the young woman as her beautiful laughter rang out. “Don’t screw this up,” She said once again, casting a glance down at the box cradled in the genius’ hands before meeting his gaze.

“I won’t, Pep. _We_ won’t,” He reassured, watching as she nodded before patting him lightly on the shoulder.

He swallowed hard and watched as she started towards the little gathering around the kitchen island. “Percy?” Pepper called, smiling warmly as the young woman turned at the sound of her voice. “I’m sorry to be a party pooper, but I’ve actually got to go.”

“Oh,” Percy said softly, taking a couple of steps towards her. “That’s okay, Pepper. Thank you so much for coming and for the lovely gift. I can hardly wait to wear them.”

Pepper smiled as Percy suddenly reached out for her and she stepped in closer to hug the young woman gently. “It was no trouble. I hope you enjoy them and have a wonderful rest of your evening with everyone. You take care, alright?” 

Percy smiled, returning the embrace before she was letting her go. “Thank you, Pepper. Take care as well, good night.”

Pepper waved over her shoulder at the group as she headed towards the elevator, smiling as she called out her good night and good byes to everyone. After she’d gone, the group made their way into the living room; at least, Percy had thought they were all coming.

It turned out that Clint, Natasha and Bruce opted to remain in the kitchen for a few minutes as Steve, Tony and Bucky joined her instead. “Would you like some more wine, Percy?” Bucky offered, already having refilled her glass and brought it along with him.

Percy laughed, moving to sit down on one of the sofa’s. “Why, _James_ …are you trying to get me drunk?” She asked coyly, raising a curious brow at him.

He laughed, smirking at her as he moved to sit down on the sofa next to her, setting her glass of wine down on the side table next to them. “It’s your party, you should be the most drunk, I would think.”

She laughed, shaking her head at him. “You hold onto my wine for now, I’ll take you up on it soon, I’m sure.”

The three men chuckled and she smiled, her head turning towards where Steve and Tony’s soft laughter could be heard. Tony was smiling at her warmly, still cradling the box in his hands carefully and Steve prodded him, pressing his hand to the man’s lower back as he gestured towards the spot on the couch beside her.

But Tony shook his head and motioned him towards the spot instead. Steve raised a brow curiously at him, but didn’t object and went to sit next to her. She immediately leaned in closer to him as he made himself comfortable and he couldn’t help smiling at her, biting his lower lip as he just took in the sight of her.

“Are you enjoying your party?” Steve asked her lightly.

She nodded quickly. “Oh definitely, everyone’s been so kind and the cake was lovely. I’m so glad Pepper could make it as well. I wonder if Thor will be able to make it too.”

Steve smiled warmly. “He may, it’s still early and I know he said he didn’t want to miss your party.”

She smiled at this, shaking her head. “I’m sure he has better things to do.”

“ _Nonsense,_ Thor loves a party,” Tony chuckled. 

She smiled quietly to herself, shaking her head as she settled back against the couch. She fiddled idly with the edge of her cast, biting her lower lip as she let out a soft sigh. But then she felt a hand against her knee, warm and solid and she swallowed hard. She sat up straighter and Tony cleared his throat after having dropped down onto his knees in front of her.

“Can we give you your birthday present now?” Tony asked quietly, his hand gently squeezing her knee.

Her eyes widened slightly. “Y-you didn’t honestly get me something, did you?” She asked incredulously.

“Of course we did,” Bucky murmured from beside her.

She shook her head in disbelief. “You guys are already doing so, _so_ much for me. Why on earth did you get me anything?”

“Because we wanted to,” Bucky shrugged. 

“We wanted to get you something special, Percy,” Steve agreed, shifting in his spot at her side.

“It’s just something small,” Tony tried to play off, placing the box against her jean-clad thigh.

“Something small,” She repeated, the tips of her fingers finding the box and feeling along its edges. 

“Mhm,” Tony murmured, watching as she started to examine the box.

His hand drifted from her thigh and they watched with bated breath as she managed to open the small box. “I-I always thought that the most _expensive_ gifts came from the smallest packages,” She said nervously, swallowing past the lump in her throat as she recognized the box to most certainly be a type of jewelry box with the way it opened and closed so firmly.

But when no one said anything, she inhaled slowly as she let the tips of her fingers delve into the box. She was met with an almost silky pillow inside and her brows furrowed curiously as she let her hand wander. The moment she felt an odd sort of texture beneath her fingertips, she froze.

“What-“ She started to whisper, but cut herself short as she let her fingertips caress what she most certainly thought was a strand of pearls.

Her eyes widened, her breath leaving her in such a rush that the three men were momentarily worried for her. She shifted the box in her lap and then both of her hands were pulling the necklace free from its place, raising it up in front of her.

She let her fingertips caress along each pearl, her eyes wide and lips parted in genuine surprise. But then she felt a stone set in the middle of the strand and she shook her head in disbelief. “Y-you got me _pearls_ ,” She gasped, barely managing to speak above a whisper.

“We did,” Steve murmured, glancing towards Bucky and Tony.

They smiled nervously, just watching as she admired the strand, her fingertips still skimming over the roundness of the pearls. She found the catch and managed to undo it, but she knew she was going to struggle without the use of her right thumb to help her. But before she could voice such a thing, she felt Tony shifting closer, removing the empty box from her lap as he leaned in between her knees. 

“Allow me,” He said, his own warm hands resting atop of hers as he took the necklace from her.

She didn’t resist and merely let him remove it from her grasp as she reached up and drew her hair to the side to get it out of the way as best as possible. Tony leaned up on his knees as he pressed in closer between her legs. His cheek brushed against hers as he drew the necklace around her neck and started to fasten the clasp at the back. 

She barely dared to breathe as he did so, her heart racing as she felt him press in so close. She couldn’t keep her hands from coming up to settle against his sides, just beneath his ribs and his lips twitched ever so slightly at the gentle pressure against his sides. He swallowed hard and once he’d managed to complete the double lock on the clasp, he let it settle against her throat.

As he slowly pulled back to admire her, he pressed a kiss to her cheek, delighting in the way she seemed to shy away from him, a blush staining her pretty cheeks. “Don’t you look lovely,” He whispered, his hands coming away to settle against her thighs lightly as he gazed at her.

She smiled shyly, tentatively reaching up with her good hand to caress the string of pearls draped about her neck. When the tips of her fingers slipped against the stone in the centre of the strand, she shook her head in disbelief. “Thank you, thank you so much. You didn’t have to do this,” She breathed, turning her head towards Steve and then Bucky before turning back to Tony.

“We wanted to,” Bucky said again, reaching out and tucking a strand of her long hair back behind her ear.

His gaze flickered down towards the strand of pearls as it settled against her flushed skin and he had to bite his lip to keep from voicing how much he wished he could see her in nothing but those pearls…and maybe those heels. He mentally shook himself as he watched the tips of her fingers caress over the stone.

“It’s a yellow stone,” He told her, glancing towards Steve as the blonde then cleared his throat.

“A pale yellow, _soft_ ,” Steve agreed, watching as her face seemed to light up even more at this. 

“A Canary Diamond,” Tony said without thinking and Percy’s eyes widened.

“A _diamond_?” She nearly squeaked and the genius grinned.

“Just a _little_ one,” He tried to insist, making a pinching gesture with his hand that he was well aware she couldn’t see.

She stared unseeing at him in open-mouthed shock. But then she was shaking her head, her own fingertips feeling the size of the stone for herself. “Doesn’t feel so little,” She mumbled and the three men couldn’t help chuckling.

“It looks beautiful on you, Percy. The pearls are so shiny and they all look so perfectly round,” Steve murmured, leaning in as he placed his thumb and forefinger against her chin, raising her face up towards his.

She swallowed hard, already blinking more quickly at the thought of him kissing her. But then his hand left her chin, her head remaining tilted up towards him as he trailed the tip of his finger down the column of her throat and ever so carefully, lifted the strand of pearls as if he would tug just a touch and force her to lean in even more.

He didn’t and instead she leaned in closer of her own accord. His lips twitched, wanting to smirk, but instead he let the necklace slip from his finger and closed the distance between them. The moment his lips touched hers, she melted against him, her eyelids drifting shut as she parted her lips for him. He wanted to groan at how perfect that was, how easily she gave in to him, how her hand clenched into a fist in her lap as she struggled to keep her composure.

But she was already lost to it and before she realized what she was doing, she had her hand resting against the back of his neck, toying and stroking along the baby soft hairs there. He smiled against her lips, his tongue slipping past her parted lips to toy with her own wet and pliant muscle. She nearly whimpered at the first brush against her, his hand having moved to cup her cheek, but then she felt another hand against her thigh and from the way they were sitting, she knew it wasn’t Steve’s.

She gasped against him and the blonde soothed her, drawing her bottom lip between his teeth to suck on it gently, clearly losing himself in the young woman’s taste. “ _Oh_ ,” She breathed, her back arching slightly as he broke the kiss, her lips still wanting to seek out more of his taste. 

Steve couldn’t help chuckling under his breath at the sight of her and the _sounds_ she was making. _God she looks beautiful._ He thought absently, but then he watched as Bucky cupped the side of her face with his flesh and blood hand and she immediately turned towards him; her eyes wide, lips parted, wet and red and looking already so kiss-bitten.

Bucky’s gaze was drawn to them and he couldn’t stop himself from leaning in and capturing them for himself. This time she did let out the tiniest of whimpers and Bucky swallowed it up, eager for more as he delved into her mouth, deepening the kiss. He wanted to _devour_ her.

Her hand had slipped from the back of Steve’s neck and was now desperately wanting to tangle itself up in Bucky’s longer locks and she didn’t deny herself the pleasure. Her good hand carded through his hair and his breathing hitched as she then grasped it almost desperately, just holding on. She belatedly wondered if he liked to have his hair pulled, not just played with like she recalled him confessing to her.

But she had to cut that wonderful thought short as a bolt of arousal shot through her at the idea and she very nearly moaned as she broke the kiss, blinking dazedly up at him as he gave her bottom lip one last parting nip. “ _Wow_ ,” She breathed.

Bucky smiled at her, wanting to chuckle, but found himself feeling a little short of breath himself at the moment. “I’ll say,” Tony murmured and her head turned towards the sound of his voice. “Seeing you three kiss each other is so _goddamn beautiful,_ ” He confessed, unable to contain the almost breathy quality to his voice.

Percy’s lips twitched, her cheeks heating even more so at the genius’ words. He chuckled softly, his hand flexing against her thigh only a touch before he was smoothing his hand up along her leg and towards the outside of her thigh. She was trembling, unaware of it until that moment and Tony’s steady hand against her leg had been trying to soothe her the entire time.

But right now it just felt like a brand against her skin, despite having jeans separating them and she really wanted to know what his calloused palm would feel like sliding against her bare skin instead. She swallowed hard, her hand having slipped from Bucky’s hair to settle overtop of Tony’s on her thigh.

“Maybe you should kiss me…and Steve and James can tell us if we look just as beautiful together,” Percy suggested, barely above a whisper.

Tony’s hand tightened briefly against her thigh before he was pressing in again between her knees, his hand slipping from beneath hers to cup the side of her neck, his thumb stroking against her wildly beating pulse. “Is that what you want?” He murmured teasingly, his lips barely brushing against hers. “You want me to kiss you and they get to _watch_?” He breathed lowly, voice full of suggestion, maybe even a hint of a promise.

Percy blinked in surprise, the whimper that wanted to escape her at that getting caught in her throat as she reached for him, barely managing a nod. And then he was pressing in and kissing her with such intensity and she really didn’t know if she could handle it.

He pressed in closer, the hand not cupping her neck moving to slip behind her waist as he pulled her eagerly towards him. She gasped against his lips, blushing deeply as the genius’ goatee rubbed teasingly against her chin and she wondered what it would be like to feel that teasing scratch against other parts of her. 

Her good hand quickly found its way to grasp the front of his shirt and she couldn’t help reaching up with her other, the tips of her fingers scratching absently at his scruff. A breathy sound escaped Tony’s lips as she did something particularly wicked with her tongue and he was left _wanting_ ; attempting to deepen the kiss but not being allowed to as she backed off.

With her tongue retreating and a soft nip to his bottom lip, he was left nearly panting as she dragged his bottom lip teasingly away from him for only a second before releasing it. He opened his eyes, not really sure when he had closed them in the first place and gazed lovingly at the woman before him, who was panting slightly as well as she bit down on her bottom lip teasingly, eyes closed as she just let herself bask in the emotions and sensations she was feeling.

Tony swallowed hard, staring in open adoration at the young woman who he could now call his girlfriend. _Oh_ and did he ever want to call her his _lover_ too. He couldn’t help biting his bottom lip, still in absolute awe over her, but then she surprised him with soft laughter escaping her. Before he could ask what was so funny, she was slipping her arms around him and nuzzling in against his ear.

He smiled, wrapping both of his arms around her waist as he drew her even closer. “I love you, Tony. _Oh_ , do I ever love you,” She gasped against him.

Tony smiled, closing his eyes as he held her even tighter. “I love you too, Percy. So, _so_ much,” He murmured, nuzzling into her neck.

She smiled against him, just breathing in deeply for a moment before she slowly pulled away, breaking their hug. “ _Hey!_ ” Clint suddenly called from the kitchen. “You guys done making out yet? We wanted to crack open a bottle of vodka and really get this party started.”

Percy couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up inside her from escaping at this and she quickly raised a hand to cover her mouth as she pulled away, a blush high on her cheeks. Tony grinned at her, casting a glance over towards where Clint, Natasha and Bruce were gathered in the kitchen with Natasha brandishing a bottle of what was definitely expensive vodka towards them. 

“ _In a minute,_ ” Bucky suddenly breathed, sounding rather impatient and Percy turned towards him with a shy grin on her face as she shook her head.

“What’s the matter, James?” She asked coyly, batting her eyelashes at him.

Bucky cleared his throat and shifted to face her a bit better. “Just wanted another minute of this,” He whispered, reaching out to caress her cheek with his flesh and blood hand.

She smiled warmly at him as she leaned into his touch before turning and pressing a kiss to the palm of his hand. He smiled at her, wanting to wrap her up in his arms and never let her go. But instead he settled for her soft press of lips against his palm and couldn’t help his smile from widening at her next words.

“You just wanted to hear me say I love you…didn’t you?” She murmured, her lips attempting to turn up into a teasing smile without her say so as she looked to him through lowered lashes.

Bucky couldn’t help his own smile from widening at this, but he didn’t get the chance to even try to deny it; not that he would. “I love you, James,” She murmured, leaning into his outstretched palm as she turned her lips away from his hand.

A blush spread across his cheeks and he smiled, drawing his hand away from her as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “And I love you, Percy,” He breathed against her skin. 

She smiled, her eyes drifting shut and soon Clint’s catcall at the pair was drawing their attention. They broke apart and Bucky proceeded to mutter obscenities in Russian under his breath as he headed towards the kitchen after the archer. Whom had apparently decided that cowering behind Natasha was somehow going to save him.

Percy couldn’t help chuckling under her breath as she rose from her spot on the couch, Tony and Steve standing along with her. She felt the blonde at her side shift and she reached out for him, her knuckles brushing against his bicep. He stopped, smiling as he turned to look down at her.

“Steve?” She whispered, tilting her face up towards him. 

“Hmm?” He murmured, leaning down closer to her. 

“I love you,” She whispered, her hand curling around his bicep tentatively.

He smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he breathed in her scent. “I love you too,” He returned, drawing her into his arms and just holding her against him tightly. 

“Come on, we’d better go and save Clint,” He chuckled after a beat, listening to Percy’s warm laughter as she nuzzled at his neck, her warm breath fanning against his skin.

They soon found themselves wrapped up in a drinking game, Percy insisting that she not go shot for shot with _any_ of them, knowing full well that she’d be out before too long if she even tried. They’d laughed and eventually wound up back in the living room chatting along, laughing and what have you while Tony settled on a new playlist to put on over the stereo.

“Sinatra?” Bruce asked curiously, glancing towards Tony as he came away from the stereo. 

The genius chuckled, shrugging lightly. “Figured I’d put something soothing on for the old folk,” He said teasingly, giving Steve a wink. 

Steve rolled his eyes, knowing perfectly well that Tony enjoyed listening to Frank as much as they did from time to time. Although his favourite was most certainly rock, he did enjoy some of the oldies his lovers would put on, on occasion.

Bruce just shook his head as he went back to listening to Clint chatting animatedly about a television show he was particularly fond of. Percy was humming softly under her breath as she listened to the music playing in the background, the Team talking happily amongst one another as the night wore on. 

She was so incredibly happy and she smiled to herself as she rose from her spot on the floor, having wanted to sit down with Parker and pet him for a while. The pup was definitely grateful for all of the attention and had promptly fallen fast asleep at her side.

She found herself faltering, however, nearly toppling over as a bit of dizziness overtook her. She laughed as she stumbled, clearly feeling a bit more tipsy than she thought she was and would have ended up nearly falling into the coffee table if it weren’t for two very strong arms coming around to steady her. She smiled, still laughing lightly as she tipped her head up towards the owner of those strong arms, one metal and the other flesh.

Her cheeks heated and she bit her lower lip as her hands came up to rest against his sides in an attempt to ground herself even more. “You alright there?” Bucky asked her quietly, a bit of mirth colouring his tone.

Percy couldn’t help laughing as she nodded. “Oh I am, didn’t think I’d had that much to drink though.”

Bucky chuckled softly under his breath, helping to right her as she moved to the other side of the recliner. “I guess it likes to sneak up on you sometimes,” He murmured.

She chuckled even more so at this, nodding as she blinked dazedly up at him. “I guess so.”

He smiled down at her, his metal hand having come to settle against her hip as he regarded her quietly for a moment. She seemed to lean into him a touch and his hand flexed against her hip. Her eyelashes fluttered at the gentle contact and now she was definitely leaning into him. His lips quirked as she did so and he couldn't help raising his flesh and blood hand to her face, tipping her chin up towards him.

“How are you so beautiful?” He whispered, unable to stop himself from leaning in just a touch more and pressing his lips against hers.

He had intended to make it chaste and it was, but Percy’s giggle had him drawing away, rather surprised. She reached up to cover her mouth with her hand, still giggling sweetly as she tried to calm herself. “ _Oh God,_ ” She breathed. “Ignore me, I definitely didn’t just sound like a five year old or anything of the sort,” She rushed on.

But Bucky was already grinning like an idiot. “That was an impressive giggle,” He teased.

“ _It wasn’t,_ ” She said quickly, immediately shaking her head. 

“Oh yes it was,” He chuckled, smirking at her. “ _God,_ you’re just so goddamn beautiful and sweet and your giggle is just as beautiful and as bright as sunshine,” He went on in clear adoration.

Percy’s cheeks flushed and she shook her head in embarrassment. “You’re such a charmer,” She said, grinning stupidly.

Bucky smiled warmly down at her, his fingertips still idly caressing her chin before dropping from her face to rest idly at his side. “Now, if you would excuse me,” She said, trying to draw away from him, only just managing to catch herself from stumbling once again.

He laughed, shaking his head in amusement. “Where are you off to in such a hurry?” He asked curiously, rather amused by her tipsy state.

“ _James_ ,” She said, chuckling as she averted her gaze. “I have to use the ladies room, are you planning on following me to the bathroom?” She teased.

He smirked, shaking his head in amusement. “I’d follow you anywhere, doll.”

Percy laughed outright, bright and beautiful, easily drawing the attention of both Steve and Tony from their spots on the opposite side of the living room. They smiled over at the pair, watching Percy’s flush spread down her throat. “Ever the charmer,” She singsonged, amused, still shaking her head as she drew herself away from him.

He couldn’t help biting his lower lip gently as he watched her start away from him, her steps a bit unsteady as she made her way towards her bedroom down the hall before turning his attention back to Natasha who had thrown a chocolate covered pomegranate at him. He raised a brow at her and she rolled her eyes in return, motioning him back towards the empty spot beside her on the sofa. 

“ _Stop being a lovesick puppy for two-seconds and have a couple of shots with me?_ ” She asked him in Russian.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “ _You know I can’t exactly get drunk, Natalia._ ”

She smirked at him lightly before rolling her eyes. “ _Don’t I know it.Come on, I need a bit of a challenge_.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, shaking his head in amusement. “ _It’d take some of Thor’s special mead for me to even feel it_ ,” He replied in Russian once again.

Natasha chuckled, nudging him with her shoulder as he sat down beside her. “ _Well, maybe he’ll be here soon and you can get sloshed with me._ ”

Bucky huffed, not really up to having a repeat of the last time he’d been dared to finish a glass of the stuff. _A glass_. He thought to himself absently, shaking his head as he recalled the night. “ _No, I’m good. I’ll just drink the weak stuff,_ ” He chuckled and Natasha smiled, shaking her head as she was soon swept up in conversation with the others, Bucky included.

Percy hummed quietly to herself under her breath as she walked across her bedroom towards the ensuite bathroom. A minute or so later, she splashed a bit of water on her face before drying her hands with a hand towel. She sighed, a smile tugging at her lips as she removed herself from the bathroom and started across her bedroom, but she stopped shy of the door, however, upon hearing the soft rustle of what she thought were the curtains by the balcony doors.

Her brows furrowed curiously and she turned, listening and she realized that she could hear the wind. “Did I leave the door open?” She wondered aloud as she turned and headed towards the balcony doors. 

She didn’t quite make it. “Hello, Persephone,” A man’s voice whispered.

She whipped around in surprise, eyes wide and lips parted. “ _Who’s there?_ ” She asked quickly.

The man smiled, watching her intently. “I’ve heard a lot about you from my dear brother. I am quite pleased to see that he was not wrong in his assessment,” He whispered.

“Your brother?” She asked curiously, worry and panic still warring within her at being alone with someone she didn’t know.

“Mhm, he’s been searching for something for you, but I found it first. I believe you’re still expecting him to arrive this evening for your party?” He asked.

Percy’s eyes widened. “You’re _Thor’s_ brother?” She asked in obvious surprise.

He chuckled softly. “I am. You may call me Loki, I suppose,” He said offhandedly, waving a hand dismissively.

She shook her head in disbelief, taking a nervous step away from him. She was well aware of the trouble Loki had caused a few years ago, opening up that awful portal and causing so much destruction. “ _Loki-_ “ She barely dared to breathe.

Loki’s smile only widened as he took a silent step towards her. “ _Ah_ , you say it so sweetly. I wonder though… _are_ you indeed so sweet?”

She nearly jumped at how close he’d managed to get to her and her eyes widened in surprise as she tried to take a step back from him. She bumped into her dresser and a sudden idea came to her. _Her purse_. She shifted against the dresser, inching towards the other side where she knew her purse was laid and her taser therein.

“Ah, _ah_ ,” Loki said lowly. “I’m not here to hurt you. I came to give you a gift.”

“A gift?” She said flatly, skepticism and obvious nerves getting the better of her. “I could scream and the Tea-“

But before she could even finish that sentence, Loki had moved to grasp the woman’s injured wrist, drawing it behind her back as he spun her around, covering her mouth with his free hand. She startled, crying out against the palm of his hand, but he held her tightly against him as he drew her farther away from her dresser and towards her bed.

“You’ll not scream for them, my dear. I come with a gift for you, is that any way to treat such a friend?” He asked coolly.

She blinked hard, her cry ceasing as he brought her towards her bed. “You’re going to sit down there and listen to me for a moment and then I’m going to give you your birthday present,” He told her firmly. “Do we have an understanding?”

Percy glared ahead, clearly not happy with the situation, but not really knowing what else to do. Maybe he wasn't here to harm her, maybe he was actually here to give her something. Maybe Thor had sent him or something. She honestly had no idea, but she did want to know what he was really here for. So she nodded, albeit reluctantly.

He smiled against her hair, slowly releasing her injured wrist and unclasping his hand from over her mouth. She pulled herself away from him almost instantly and he watched as she spun around to face him, looking far more calm and collected-though rather menacing-than he’d expected her to be. “I don’t want to sit, but I’ll listen to what you have to say,” She said stubbornly.

Loki’s lips quirked. “Very well. May I ask how you injured your wrist? Thor did not tell me you had hurt it.”

Percy shifted uncomfortably, crossing her arms in front of her chest in an attempt to hide some of the cast. “Thor hasn’t been here to know I’d hurt it…James was trying to get me out of harms way…someone from my past was going to hurt me.” 

“And the soldier hurt you instead?” Loki asked.

Percy glared at him. “It was an accident. He reached for me-I was going to fall-and he broke my wrist by accident,” She said sternly.

“ _Ah_ ,” Loki murmured. “Unfortunate, but it could have been worse, I suppose?”

Percy swallowed hard. “Much.”

His lips quirked and he regarded her quietly for a moment. “I could fix it for you,” He offered casually.

Percy’s eyes narrowed. “Fix it for me,” She said flatly. “ _Why?_ Just so you could break it yourself?”

Loki’s lips twitched and he could no longer hide his feral smile as he took a step closer to her. “So, you do have a fire in you. Thor wasn’t wrong after all.”

“What are you _talking_ about? What has Thor told you about me?” She demanded in annoyance.

Loki chuckled darkly. “He said you were able to wield Mjölnir, is that true?”

Percy shifted, eyes still narrowed suspiciously. “I don’t know if I could actually wield it or not…I did pick it up though- _light as a feather-_ “

“Don’t lie to me,” Loki snapped angrily at her careless tone.

Percy’s lips quirked, her gaze turning knowing. “You can’t wield it, can you? I’m not even sure I understand why I was able to lift it at all.”

Loki calmed himself some, taking a steadying breath. “Only those who are worthy can wield Mjölnir and Thor said you did it so easily…” He whispered.

“And what does it mean to be _worthy?_ ” Percy asked, curiosity getting the better of her. 

“What does it mean indeed,” He said in nothing more than a whisper and Percy was momentarily surprised by this.

“Why are you here, Loki? What does any of this have to do with you showing up announced?” She said in annoyance.

“I told you, I’m here to bestow a gift upon you. Thor was looking for a cure, but I found it first,” He confessed.

Percy blinked, brows furrowing in confusion. “A cure? A cure for what?” 

“Your sight, of course,” Loki said casually.

Percy bristled, her hands dropping to her sides as she clenched her one good hand into a fist. “There is no cure for-“

“You’re right, there isn’t. Well, not in the traditional sense. But there are _spells_ ,” He went on.

“ _Magic?_ ” She said incredulously, but the hopefulness that laced her voice had Loki’s lips twisting up into a smile.

“Yes,” He whispered. “There is a light in you, Persephone. One that Thor was quick to see. You wish you could see the good in people, even the bad, don’t you? Plain as day upon their faces and just _know_ if they were a good or bad person or some strange mixture of the two,” He went on. “But you already do, don’t you? You can see the good in those people who are close to you.”

“I don’t _see_ anything,” She muttered angrily, crossing her arms in front of her chest. 

Loki smiled. “Forgive me, I did not mean to offend. I am merely stating that you have the ability to get close to someone and read them, in a way…”

She swallowed hard, shifting slightly from one foot to the other. “How do you know what it is I wish for?”

Loki shrugged, his gaze flickering over her frame. “I suppose I don’t know for sure what it is you wish for. But I’d be willing to wager that you do wish for some variance of what I’ve described,” He murmured. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to see again? To see a person and just _know_ that you can _trust them_ with all of your being?”

Percy swallowed hard. “That’s not possible, even with sight. People _lie_ , people _pretend_ and _manipulate_ -“ She seethed.

Loki smiled at her, his gaze softening in understanding. “You’ve been burned before, I take it.”

It wasn’t a question and Percy scowled at him. “What does it matter?” She snapped.

“It matters,” He said firmly, taking a silent step towards her.

His gaze flickered down to the string of pearls peeking from her unbuttoned blouse and he smiled. “That’s a lovely necklace,” He told her. “Was it a gift?” He asked knowingly.

She immediately reached up with her injured hand, her fingertips settling over the diamond in the centre as she seemed to shield it from his prying gaze. His smile only grew at this. “ _Ah_ , it most certainly must have been. From someone special then?”

She glowered at him. “ _Again-_ “ She muttered. “What does it _matter?_ ”

Loki scowled at her, stepping right into her space as he grasped her injured wrist and yanked her forwards. She nearly cried out and she would have too if he hadn’t gripped her throat with his other hand and held her still. Her eyes widened and she choked as she reached up with her good hand and tried to tear his hand from her throat, but to no avail.

“It _matters_ because _I_ need to know if you are worthy, Persephone. So, tell me…since you won’t tell me anything else, do _you_ think you are worthy of the gift of _Sight?_ ” He asked her, slowly releasing his grasp on her throat, but didn’t make to remove his hand.

“ _No_ -“ She gasped, without an ounce of hesitation.

His brows furrowed curiously. “Why not?” He asked in confusion.

“B-because it wouldn’t be fair,” She gasped again and he released his grasp on her throat just a touch more to let her speak.

“I don’t understand,” He whispered.

She blinked, staring up at him with sad wide eyes. “It wouldn’t be fair for me to gain back my sight when there are so many people who never will. It wouldn’t be fair when I’ve done nothing to warrant such a gift.”

Loki bit his lower lip as he regarded her. “My, my…” He breathed. “There is a light in you…wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could see the light in everyone else? Or better yet, the darkness?” 

She blinked in confusion. “Getting my sight back wouldn’t let me see either of those things.”

“You’re right, gaining your sight back would do none of those things…but gaining _The_ Sight…well, I’m told it would do that and so much more,” He murmured, leaning in close to her ear.

She flinched at his closeness, jerking against him in an attempt to free herself and he simply renewed his grip on her throat. She tried to dig her nails into his arm, but couldn’t seem to get past the armour of the gauntlets he wore.

“Keep still,” He muttered. “Don’t you want your present?” He hissed teasingly.

She glowered at him, trying to shake her head as she kicked out at him. He couldn’t help chuckling darkly before he released her, shoving her from him roughly. She gasped out, barely managing to stop herself from falling flat on her face, quickly righting herself and standing her ground defiantly. 

“I-I don’t want anything from you,” She gasped, barely able to find her voice; but she clearly looked ready for a fight.

“But it was Thor’s wish,” He pressed. “He wasn’t sure the gift existed, but I found it and now I’m going to give it to you because you _are_ worthy.”

She shook her head incredulously. “ _I’m not_ -I don’t want it-“ She nearly snapped. “I don’t deserve it-give it to someone who does,” She said, irritation evident in her voice.

Loki smirked, watching as she steadied herself only a few feet away from him, but her legs were shaking ever so slightly. “I don’t need you to want this, Persephone. I only need to know that you are worthy so that I may bestow it upon you. Don’t you want to know if those around you are who they say they are? If they are truly genuine or if they are lying through their teeth to you?”

“To be able to see kindness in their hearts and not just hear it in their voices,” She whispered uncertainly. “ _Impossible_ ,” She breathed.

“It is possible,” Loki insisted. “The Sight is different…you won’t see as you once did, but you will _see_. Don’t you wish to see _colours_ again?” He whispered, taking a careful step towards her.

Percy’s eyes widened as she listened to him, shaking her head in obvious disbelief. “I-“ She started haltingly, unable to continue.

“You do, I _know_ you do,” He muttered. “I can see it in your eyes, feel it in your soul, the way it calls out for help.”

“You can't possibly…” She started to interrupt, disbelief clear as day written across her face.

“No, you're right. I can't see that, but I _feel_ it. You're so _desperate_ for it,” He practically purred to her and she jerked away from him as he reached out and grasped her injured wrist. “The spell is already working. It's been working on you since I told you that you are worthy,” He told her. “Now, let me fix-“

“Let go of me,” She gasped. “I don't want-“ But then he grasped her by her wrist harder, the cast crumbling away beneath his fingers and in one quick motion, he pressed two fingers against her forehead; right between her eyes. 

The air immediately shifted around them and it was as if everything went eerily still as her body was ripped from his grasp and left suspended before him. There was a ripple in the air, as if a shockwave spread out around them, only the sound of her sudden exhale at the jolt to her body heard in the silence of the room. 

Loki smiled as he watched her suspended in time and space before him and then turned and walked towards the open balcony door. He glanced over his shoulder at her and watched as she slowly fell to the bed, the spell having finished its job. She turned her head towards him then, blinking slowly, a small crease forming between her brows.

“Happy birthday, Persephone. Don't forget to thank Thor for his present when you see him,” He murmured, slipping out the balcony doors and into the night. 

She stared off after him, her head spinning in the aftermath of the spell and the alcohol and she swallowed hard as she closed her eyes, swearing that she had seen a flicker of green and gold in the darkness before succumbing to her body's wishes as she slipped into unconsciousness.

“What the hell was that?” Bucky muttered, a chill racing down his spine.

The others stilled, having felt some kind of a shift as well and then Jarvis' voice rang out around them. “ _Sir_ , it would appear that there has been a security breach.”

“Why didn't you say something sooner?” Tony snapped, jumping up from his spot on the sofa. 

“I am terribly sorry, Sir. My systems were rebooting,” Jarvis went on.

“ _Rebooting?_ ” Tony said incredulously. “What the hell happened? Who's inside? Where's the breach?” He demanded.

“It would appear that the breach was made in Miss Matthew's quarters,” Jarvis began, but before he had even finished, the entire Team was already on their feet and racing towards the young woman's bedroom. 

“ _Percy!?_ ” Steve shouted as he came barrelling into the bedroom, taking the door off its hinges in his wake with the rest of the Team following close behind him. 

Natasha and Bucky had guns drawn from only God knows where, Clint a knife and Tony had even managed to pull on a gauntlet, repulsor glowing brightly as he armed himself. They rushed into the bedroom, eyes wide and scanning their surroundings, their collective gazes settling on Percy lying outstretched on the bed.

“Our intruder appears to have fled, the room is clear and all systems are back online,” Came Jarvis' voice as Steve rushed to Percy's bedside. 

The woman groaned softly, the noise of the Team disturbing her. “ _Percy!_ ” Steve gasped, voice full of worry as his hands skimmed down her arms as she raised her hands to her face; both of them, no trace of the cast left behind.

A pained noise left her then as she rubbed at her temples before attempting to sit up, slowly regaining wakefulness. “What happened?” Bucky demanded breathlessly, watching as Steve carefully helped her sit up properly. 

Percy shook her head and promptly grimaced, the pain only intensifying. “I don't-I don't remember,” She said weakly, pressing her fingers against her eyes.

“Who was here, Percy? What can you remember?” Steve asked worriedly, kneeling down in front of her.

She swallowed hard, sitting up now with her feet flat on the floor. She was cradling her head, the pounding headache she felt was awful and she kept her eyes shut tightly as she rubbed at them as well in an attempt to relieve the ache. 

“I’m not sure, just…just give me a second,” She pleaded, bending forwards to rest her elbows on her knees, taking a couple of deep breaths.

Steve wore a pinched expression as he watched her, his eyes scanning over her features and along the rest of her frame in an attempt to gage whether or not she was physically hurt or not. She was moving her wrist well enough without the cast and it looked near picture perfect, not even red where he thought the cast would have definitely rubbed against her sensitive skin. 

“What happened to your cast?” He couldn’t help asking.

Percy’s frown only deepened at this, but then it was as if something fit into place. “He…he must have fixed it,” She whispered.

“ _Fixed it?_ ” He asked in disbelief, not understanding who could have possibly mended a bone.

“Who?” Tony asked curiously from the other side of the bed.

Percy shook her head, but quickly cut the motion short when it felt like her brain was rattling around inside her skull. “Lo- _Loki?_ I think?” She said absently. “Does that make sense?” She said, clearly feeling uncertain about the whole thing.

“ _Jesus Christ-_ “ Tony breathed, the others in the room shifting uncomfortably at the idea of Percy having been _alone_ with the demi-god.

“What the hell was he doing here?” Clint asked, glancing towards Natasha who likewise wore a pinched expression as they watched Percy at the edge of the bed.

“I-I think he was here to give me something,” Percy said absently, the memory starting to come back to her.

“To give you something?” Bruce asked her skeptically.

Percy murmured something that would have been an affirmative then and pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to recall more. She sighed deeply, unable to remember anything else for the moment, her hands falling to the bed. She blinked a couple of times, slowly opening her eyes then and looked ahead of her and immediately stiffened.

Her lips parted and a very soft sound escaped her before all of the air seemed to empty from her lungs as if she’d been punched. “ _Oh-_ “ She breathed, suddenly unable to find her breath or her words.

“What’s the matter?” Steve asked her quickly, worry and a ton of other emotions passing over him as he watched her as she seemed to struggle to both breathe normally and say anything at all.

She blinked quickly, her eyes wide and staring, her hands clenched tightly in the comforter. She gasped in a breath, shaking her head as the pounding therein began to settle into a dull ache. “ _I-_ “ She started haltingly, shock clearly evident in her voice. 

“What is it, Percy?” Steve asked nervously, his hands coming up to settle against her thighs.

She took a very deep and shaky breath then, her eyes still wide and lips parted in obvious shock. “ _Steve?_ ” She asked in disbelief, her hand reaching out towards him tentatively.

He nodded, worried beyond measure and he cast a quick glance towards the others who were standing on the other side of the bed. They all wore similar expressions and he swallowed hard, his attention quickly being drawn back towards the woman in front of him. “Yeah, Percy. It’s me, sweetheart. What’s the matter?” He tried again, reaching up to grasp her outstretched hand.

But then she did something she’d never done before; she evaded his grasp. His eyes widened slightly as she made to withdraw her hand before he could grasp hers and instead she reached out and placed her palm against the side of his face, cupping his cheek as if she’d known exactly where his face would be. He stared at her in surprise, unsure as to how she’d managed it, but then she spoke up again.

“It’s so beautiful. _Steve,_ your _colours_ ,” She gasped, her eyes still wide and staring; _searching._

Steve’s brows pinched up in concern. “Percy?” He asked curiously. “What are-“ He started to ask, but then she shook her head, cutting him off.

“I can see colours- _your_ _colours,_ Steve,” She nearly cried. “You’re so _beautiful_ ,” She gasped. “All golds and oranges…you’re so _bright._ ”

Steve stared at her in disbelief. “You can _see?_ ”

She nodded, not daring to close her eyes in case it stopped, in case the colours disappeared forever once more. She nearly sobbed at the beauty of it all. She couldn’t see the way she once had, it was definitely different, otherworldly even and she wasn’t sure even how to fathom describing it to him.

There was a bright glow making up the entirety of the man before her, all glittering golds and orange and she was absolutely mesmerized by the display. It all seemed to be radiating from his heart and she let her hand slip from his cheek to press over the source of the glow, feeling the warmth of his body through his thin t-shirt. She shook her head in disbelief, still staring in open-mouthed awe at the man.

“Your heart is so _pure_ , you are so genuinely _good_ ,” She whispered. “I can see it for real. I can feel it when I touch you. I always knew it to be so, but now _I can_ ** _see_** _it_ ,” She gasped, tears escaping her.

Steve stared at her in disbelief, her words making his heart ache painfully in his chest. He reached up and clasped her hand in his own, pinning it over his heart. “ _Percy,_ how is that possible? How can you possibly _see_ that?” He asked curiously, doubt evident in his voice.

She shook her head, still mesmerized by the light as the colours shifted and changed in ways she could never even begin to imagine, let alone describe. She wondered what the swirl of colours that seemed to be ever changing around him meant and how she could ever hope to decipher. Tears continued to escape her as she stared at him, her hand clutching at his chest desperately.

“I don’t know,” She confessed. “It must have been a spell. Loki talked about a gift… _oh_ ,” She breathed, her memories flitting back to her all in a rush. “ _A spell_ ,” She gasped. “A present, something Thor had been searching for, but he found it first, he came to give it to me,” She said in awe, still staring wide eyed and beautiful at him. “The gift of Sight,” She whispered.

Steve shook his head incredulously. “This is _magic?_ ” He asked, looking to the others in hopes they could help him, but they all seemed just as lost.

“What does the spell do exactly, Percy? What is it you’re seeing?” Tony asked her then, his voice so timid and quiet that for a moment, he wasn’t sure if anyone had even been able to hear him.

Percy shook her head. “I don’t think I know for sure…” She confessed. “Loki told me how I wished I could see the kindness in people, the awful too…not just hear it in their voices when they could lie through their teeth to me,” She breathed, shaking her head.

She blinked and reached up to cup the side of the blonde’s face, her thumb swiping over his cheek lightly. “And I see _colours_ …so many beautiful colours…” She whispered. “I don’t even think I could name them all…but the gold is _so bright_ , _so beautiful_ and it never changes in you. It must be your colour, your inner light.”

Steve blinked, his cheeks heating as she stared at him with nothing short of the most reverent look upon her gorgeous face. “Trust Steve to be a true America’s _Golden Boy_ ,” Bucky couldn’t help murmuring under his breath, a hint of amusement colouring his voice, but the strain of emotion was clearly evident in his tone; he wondered if she were to look at him, what she might see.

She laughed then, shaking her head. “I would expect to see nothing less in him.”

Steve shook his head, her hand slipping from his cheek, but then Parker was padding into the room. He’d apparently missed out on all the commotion during his nap and wondered where everyone had gone off to when he’d awoken and had come to investigate. He strode towards her, tail wagging happily, oblivious to the tensions in the room as he made his way straight for Percy at the edge of the bed.

She was startled when his wet nose bumped against her hand and she gasped out, her gaze straying towards him and she nearly cried out in surprise when she saw the bundle of light at her feet. “ _Parker?_ ” She said in disbelief, her voice breaking.

The pup whined softly and she couldn’t help it, she outright sobbed. The pup jumped up on the bed beside her and she grabbed him, wrapping her arms around him so tightly as she pulled him to her chest and held on as if for dear life. She cried into his fur, holding him so tightly as she blinked away the tears, his beautiful gold and orange colours shining back at her so alarmingly. 

“You’re so beautiful, Parker. _So beautiful_ ,” She said in between her soft gasps and sobs. 

The Team watched her, their hearts swelling with emotion as she held onto her pup as if he might suddenly disappear. Tony shook his head, watching them, open awe and adoration on his face. He didn’t know how any of this was possible, how Loki was even able to do such a thing was beyond him. He hated magic, would be the absolute first person to ever admit that, but right now…he was just so _goddamn happy_ that she was able to see anything, especially something so admittedly otherworldly and impossible.

“I don’t know how this is possible,” She suddenly gasped, shaking her head as she pulled her face from Parker’s neck as the pup whined and pawed at her arm.

Tony huffed, shifting where he stood. “Magic has a certain peculiar way about making the impossible, possible,” Tony muttered, admittedly curious.

Percy laughed, shaking her head before she cast a look over her shoulder towards the sound of his voice. She stilled almost instantly, eyes widening as her breath was forced from her lungs. “ _Oh-_ “ She gasped, her eyes flickering towards him and the others as they stood beside the bed.

Tony immediately tensed, unsure of himself and what she saw. He hadn’t actually thought about what she might see in him, let alone the others. He swallowed hard, staring back at her nervously, but then she was shifting, letting go of Parker and standing up.

Steve had stood back up as she was hugging Parker and he watched curiously as she started to walk around the edge of the bed towards him. “ _Tony?_ ” She asked, clearly unsure as she stared at the genius now standing before her. 

He swallowed past the lump in his throat, watching as she came towards him, but he found himself too afraid to speak. What if she saw something in him that she didn’t like? She smiled softly at him, her gaze softening as if in understanding. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” She asked gently.

Tony couldn’t help laughing weakly at this, his heart swelling and he took a shaky breath as he looked to her. But she was shaking her head, her eyes wide and looking at him in absolute wonder. “How is it you have _two_ hearts?” She asked in disbelief, her voice sounding almost distant as she reached out to him, the backs of her fingertips brushing against his sternum; right over the Arc Reactor.

Tony’s eyes widened in absolute shock and he stuttered, trying to think of what to say to that. “It’s no wonder you love so much, or so strongly if you have two of them,” She whispered absently, extending her fingertips to caress the object embedded in his chest.

He choked on his words, every possible response or thought escaping him completely in that instant as he stared at her with wide eyes, his face pinched up in near pain as she let her fingertips caress idly over the awful device. But then her fingers twitched and they shifted to hover over the spot above his heart and she smiled so lovingly as she gazed at him and all his mess of colours.

“You’re so beautiful, Tony. I’ve never seen colours like yours,” She whispered, her gaze flickering up to his face, not seeing it the way any normal human being would, but knowing it to be there with the way his ethereal glow seemed to shape itself in his human form.

He was at a loss as to what he should say or do and simply ended up shaking his head and whispering, “Thank you.”

Her lips quirked and she regarded him quietly for a moment, her eyes flickering over him as she tried to catalog all of the colours she saw in him. He cleared his throat after at least a minute had passed, no one daring to move a muscle in case they drew her attention. She blinked, as if just realizing that she had been staring for far too long without saying anything and she blushed.

“I-I’m sorry-I just, I don’t mean to _stare_ ,” She tried weakly.

Tony smiled at her, shaking his head. “But you _want_ to,” He whispered. 

“Of course I want to,” She blurted. “I haven’t seen _anything_ in sixteen years.”

Tony’s gaze softened and he nodded, reaching out to cup the side of her face. She immediately leaned in to his caress, her eyelids closing half-way as she continued to stare so openly at him. “W-what-“ He started to ask, but then seemed to think better of it and shake his head. “Never mind.”

She shook her head gently, biting her lower lip. “What is it, Tony?”

He cleared his throat and then as nonchalantly as possible, cast her a very unconvincing flat look; apparently trying not to appear too curious. “What-uh- _colours_ , do you see…in me?”

Percy’s lips quirked and she couldn’t help letting her hand slip from his chest as she took a deliberate step back from him. He looked confused for all of a second until she gave him a very deliberate and unmistakable once over, her gaze flickering over his frame from head to toe as she bit down hard on her bottom lip. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” She murmured teasingly, gazing up at him through lowered lashes.

He groaned, scrubbing a hand over his face in hopes of erasing the awful blush that was trying to crawl up his neck. “Don’t look at me like that,” He said in embarrassment. “It’s like you want to _eat me_ and _hey_ , that’s not fair; you told Steve what his colours were,” He practically whined, pouting like a toddler. 

She laughed, so bright and beautiful. “I’m sorry, Tony. I think I’m still a little tipsy from the wine,” She admitted, shaking her head. “And I didn’t know what else to say when I saw Steve at first. I just saw his colours and blurted the first thing that came to my mind, the first thing I felt,” She confessed.

He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he watched her, his blush finally settling into something not terribly noticeable. “Fine…I guess,” He muttered petulantly.

She couldn’t help chuckling softly as she watched him, his ever shifting colours making her want to reach out to him once again. She restrained herself for the time being and instead ducked her head a little as she murmured, “And I don’t want to eat you…not exactly.”

He looked to her, his eyes widening in surprise, but then Steve was chuckling softly from behind her and she smiled, turning to look towards him. She couldn’t help looking to him in awe once again, his colours startlingly bright in the otherwise darkness of her vision and she wondered if this were all just in her mind; a trick of sorts. But she dismissed it as quickly as the thought entered her mind. Knowing the colours in Steve, in Parker and Tony were genuine reflections of their inner lights, their inner beauty; they could be nothing but truth.

While she was turned away, Bucky calmly and quietly shifted to stand behind Bruce, hoping beyond hope that the man could block out whatever colours Percy might see in him, even if just for a little while. Only Steve and Natasha seemed to notice the shift and the man’s unease as it practically radiated off of him and Bucky hoped neither said anything about it for the moment.

“We should really figure out what Loki had intended to start with this spell,” Steve said quietly and Percy’s face fell somewhat.

“I-I don’t know exactly, I’ll be honest. He wasn’t very clear, but he said Thor had wanted me to have this, whatever it is. He kept calling it, _The Sight_ ,” She told him, turning to look towards Tony and the others again and this time, her gaze flickered towards the other occupants in the room.

She breathed in deeply, her brows pinching up as she looked to them. The colours were all just as bright, but they were swirling differently than Tony and Steve’s had, even Parker’s and she wondered at the reasoning behind it. She blinked, counting the different bodies as their heart colours dictated and she shook her head a little.

“I can’t tell who is who…” She whispered uncertainly, gaze flickering between four distinctly different persons and wondering why one seemed to be partially obscured.

She blinked again, taking a step towards them as Tony turned to look back towards Clint, Natasha, Bruce and Bucky. His brows pinched up in concern when he saw Bucky practically cowering behind Bruce, however, apparently trying to make himself appear as small as possible. 

“Natasha?” She whispered, extending her hand towards one of the figures and for probably the first time in her life, Natasha flinched.

The colours shifted abruptly in whom she had reached out to, thinking it to be Natasha and she’d been right, but she didn’t understand what they all meant. There was a muteness to her colours, like a white light trying to overcome the rest of her beautiful glow and Percy didn’t know what to make of it. She shook her head, blinking a couple of times. Wondering if it would clear, but it didn’t and so she stepped forward again and this time, pressed her palm flat to the woman’s chest, right above her heart.

“ _Percy_ ,” Natasha whispered, so tentative and for a moment, no one understood the tone she’d used…mostly because none of them had _ever_ heard it in her voice before.

It sounded like fear and Percy blinked in confusion before understanding dawned on her and she relaxed, slowly withdrawing her hand as she gave the woman a warm, reassuring smile. “You’re so pretty, Natasha. Your heart is all sorts of deep purples and maroons,” She whispered. 

Natasha visibly relaxed, no one even having been aware that she looked tense to begin with and Percy’s smile only widened as her light seemed to intensify, the white light that was muting her colours fading substantially. “That’s better,” Percy murmured absently and the others only looked to her curiously, wondering what she saw then.

But then Percy’s gaze was flickering between the two figures at her side and she smiled at them. “Do you want to know your colours too?” She murmured quietly, looking to both Bruce and Clint, still unable to see the other person very well as they remained hidden.

Neither spoke, but they both nodded and Percy smiled, watching as their light-their aura’s-reflected their form’s movements. She stepped forwards, placing a hand carefully over the closest man’s heart, just letting the palm of her hand settle over his inner glow.

Bruce cleared his throat then and she smiled, looking up at him. “Am I-am I-“ He stuttered, unable to voice himself properly.

Percy’s hand flexed against his shirt and she smiled even brighter. “Green?” She finished for him quietly.

He swallowed hard and nodded jerkily, staring at Percy in a mixture of pain and unease. She calmly shook her head. “No,” She breathed, watching as the constantly shifting colours in him calmed considerably, his entire form practically heaving inside, invisible to everyone but her. 

“It’s not?” He asked in disbelief, his rapidly beating heart slowing beneath the press of her gentle fingertips.

She shook her head, studying him quietly for a moment. “You’re all shades of lavender, so soft and soothing,” She whispered, drawing her hand from his chest as she smiled up at him in reassurance. 

He exhaled, slow and deep and Percy let him alone, her gaze straying towards the person by his side. She reached out to him and as she placed a hand carefully against his chest, over his glowing heart, he let out a nervous laugh.

“If you tell me my heart’s pink and I’m so full of love or something cheesy, I just might throw a tantrum,” Clint muttered nervously.

Percy laughed, shaking her head as she let herself look at him, just taking all of his wonderful colours in. “You’re not pink…not really,” She said teasingly.

“What does that mean?” He blurted, obviously curious, brows knit tightly in near worry.

She chuckled softly. “There is some pink in you, but it’s not your heart’s colour…”

Clint swallowed hard. “And what is my heart’s colour?”

She smiled, withdrawing her hand from him. “I think it’s called turquoise,” She murmured.

Clint’s shoulders relaxed and she continued to smile at him warmly as he settled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I guess that’s an acceptable colour,” He muttered weakly.

Percy couldn’t help chuckling as she watched him, but then her gaze was being drawn to Bruce again and she tried to look around him. Bruce shifted, realizing that she wasn’t actually looking at him and Bucky immediately shifted with him.

“ _Percy_ ,” Came Bucky’s timid whisper and she tilted her head curiously at the sound of his voice. 

“James? What’s the matter?” She said, voice filled with worry; she didn’t like the way he sounded or how he kept seeming to hide himself from her.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky said softly. “I just-I-I don’t want you to look at me. Please don’t look at me,” He practically begged.

Percy immediately straightened, her brows furrowing in concern. “Why not?” She barely dared to ask, she herself afraid of the answer she would receive.

“D-don’t ask me that,” He whispered brokenly.

Percy’s heart clenched and she shook her head, feeling so incredibly hurt. She tried not to let it show, but obviously did a shit job as she blinked hard, tears having rushed to her eyes. “O-okay,” She whispered. “I-I won’t look at you,” She agreed, her tone clearly upset and he knew he’d hurt her.

To ask her not to look at him, when he’d been able to look so unabashedly at her since the first time he’d met her was obviously a dick move and he knew it. He swallowed past the lump in his throat as he struggled to keep himself calm, from saying something even more hurtful or stupid. He glanced over Bruce’s shoulder towards Steve and Tony who were both watching him with such pained expressions on their faces and he shook his head, shying away again.

Percy turned away from them, her gaze cast dejectedly to the floor as she reached up to rub at her arm. Tony reached out to her then and his light caught her off-guard. She flinched and he stopped, his hand raised out towards her and she knew he wanted to comfort her, but she didn’t want that. She was fine, everything was _fine_. She’d just had her whole world turned upside-down in the course of an evening, but she was _fine_ , _perfectly_ ** _fine_**.

She took a deep breath, shrugging the awful feeling away and raising her chin, giving Tony a warm smile. “Sorry, not used to seeing someone reaching out to me.”

Tony nodded, withdrawing his hand slowly. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

She shook her head, plastering on a fake smile. “Don’t worry about it.”

Tony nodded, just watching her, but then there was the unmistakable sound of thunder echoing outside the still open balcony doors and everyone’s gazes turned towards the sound. “ _Finally-_ “ Steve breathed. “Maybe he can shed some light on whatever the hell Loki was talking about.”

Percy nodded, closing her eyes for a moment, knowing that Thor had finally arrived. She took a deep breath, her soft murmured admonishment of _language_ , going unnoticed by everyone except Tony at her side. The genius looked to her nervously before casting a glance back over his shoulder at Bucky who had shifted enough that he could be seen just a touch more.

The man’s face was cast in shadow as he tried to keep himself hidden and Tony swallowed hard when he saw Bucky staring at Percy with a look of complete and utter _heartbreak_ on his face. He tried to catch his lover’s gaze, but couldn’t seem to distract him enough from the woman. He frowned, turning back towards the balcony as he heard Thor land outside.

“ _Persephone!?_ ” Thor called, his voice clearly laced with worry and what she thought could be panic. 

She frowned, brows furrowing in confusion as she took a step towards the sound of his voice. And then she saw it. She squinted, turning her head away from the suddenly blinding light that stepped into her vision and she gasped, nearly shrinking back from the glow. She blinked, shutting her eyes tightly as she shied away and nearly lost her balance as she did so.

“ _Percy!_ ” Thor breathed, his hands suddenly grasping her shoulders as he steadied her. “Are you alright? _Loki,_ he managed to detain me. He said he was to pay you a visit. Are you alright?” He asked her again, nearly shaking her in his concern.

She nodded, reaching up and placing her hands against his chest as she tried to steady herself. “Yes, yes-I’m _fine-_ “ She started to insist, but Tony shook his head incredulously.

“She’s not _fine_ ,” Tony said suddenly. “She can see things that shouldn’t be there, she can see _colours_ that no one else can.”

Thor’s eyes widened and he stood back from her, holding her carefully at arms length. “He found it…” He whispered in awe.

Percy swallowed hard, slowly opening her eyes. She had to blink several times before she could focus properly and even then, she felt as if she were looking directly into the Sun. She stared up at him in awe, realizing for the first time that she was in fact in the presence of a _God_.

She inhaled shakily, staring up at him with wide, awed eyes. “I feel like I’m staring directly into the Sun,” She gasped, shaking her head incredulously.

Thor’s gaze softened, losing some of his pinched concern. He shook his head and let go of her arms as he surveyed her. “So it is true…you are worthy…you can see our light,” He murmured.

Percy blinked, shaking her head. “Loki…why did-what did he _do_ to me?” 

Thor frowned deeply. “I am so sorry, Percy. I asked him for his help in locating an object that could unlock a spell to cure your sight. I spoke of you, told him what I saw in you, how _strong_ you are,” He confessed, shaking his head. “I had intended to find the spell on my own and offer you the choice. But he took that away from you, he _forced_ it upon you,” He said, anger flaring beneath the surface of his calm exterior.

Percy swallowed thickly, blinking quickly as she watched his blindingly bright colours change and shift to what she could only describe as the heart of a fire. “But it didn’t cure my sight, Thor. This is…this is something else entirely,” She gasped.

He nodded, gaze softening. “I know. I’m so sorry, Percy. I did not understand what the spell would entail until Loki had me locked away in that awful cell. He… _educated me_ …” Thor said quietly.

“I don’t understand,” Percy said nervously.

Thor swallowed hard, pulling a small leather bound book from beneath his armour. He held it out to her and she frowned. The object in his hand was the most sickly grey colour she thought she had ever seen. “Wh-what is it?” She asked nervously. 

“It is a very old book that describes The Sight in a way that no mortal could ever understand…unless they possessed it themselves,” He explained.

“I-I don’t like its colour,” She whispered uncomfortably, glancing up into his face. 

Thor nodded, glancing down at the book held in his outstretched hand. “I don’t think I could read it anyway,” She whispered. “I can’t see anything around me. I see people, far differently than I ever could have imagined, but I can at least see their colours.”

“But you can see the book,” He said quietly.

She blinked, nodding hesitantly. “I can…yes, I guess I can,” She whispered, carefully reaching for the book.

He gave it to her and she swallowed hard as she drew it closer. She studied the cover, not understanding the symbols, but she quickly realized it wouldn’t matter as she flipped it open to the first page.Her breath caught and she stilled, her eyes widening as she gazed upon its pages. She studied the symbols, the words and she should have been confused, she knew she should have been. The symbols were certainly not even remotely English and yet she could read them as easily as if they were.

She shook her head incredulously, her fingertips tracing over one of the symbols and she gasped as a colour overtook her sight, her entire body wrenching forwards at the powerful emotion she felt along with it; _sorrow_. 

She sobbed brokenly, dropping to her knees as she clutched at the book in her grasp, the overwhelming emotion all but consuming her. She could hear someone shouting, more than one person, she was sure and she gasped, blinking rapidly as she struggled to come back from whatever the hell she’d just experienced as Thor ripped the book from her hands. 

He shut it and threw it aside hastily as he too dropped down before her. Bucky had immediately come to her side, as had Steve, Tony and the others without hesitation. They were all crouching down around her, beside her, wanting to help her in any way they could. She gasped, fighting to regain the breath that had been knocked from her.

She reached out in front of her to steady herself and Thor helped her, taking both of her hands in his. “Shh, you’re alright, Percy. It’s alright. It’s just an emotion, it’s not yours, it’s not real,” He was saying to her, trying to calm her.

She was still crying, but her sobbing had ceased. She blinked, staring into his blindingly soothing glow as she nodded quickly. “There was so much sadness,” She gasped, shaking her head. 

Thor nodded, watching as Bucky smoothed back some of her hair, pushing it from her face. “I know, Percy,” Thor whispered. “It is the only way to understand the colours. Loki said that only a person with The Sight could read that book, could understand the symbols and feel the emotions connected with them. Did you see the colours too?” He asked her.

She nodded jerkily and he relaxed a little, his gaze flickering towards the three men who seemed to be staring at her with so much concern reflected in their eyes. His gaze softened as he let himself truly look at the group before him, surrounding her. He could see something different in the three men then and he smiled.

“You finally told her,” He said happily, glancing between them.

Percy blinked, not understanding, but then Steve chuckled softly in embarrassment, drawing her attention. Tony smirked a bit and Bucky immediately shied away, drawing his metal hand from where it had been resting comfortingly against Percy’s lower back. But as he turned away from them wanting to distance himself, to perhaps hide himself from Percy in case she looked to him, she caught a glimpse.

He was quick, but Percy managed to steal a glimpse of his colours and she quickly jerked her head away from him, not wanting to break her promise. She swallowed hard, shutting her eyes as she turned her head back towards Thor, refusing to open them for the moment.

“I’m so proud of you three for telling her,” Thor said quietly, watching Bucky shy away.

He let his gaze fall back towards Percy, watching the strained smile she wore, crack around the edges. “And I’m so proud of you for telling them,” He whispered to Percy, reaching out and resting a warm, reassuring hand against her shoulder.

She smiled nervously, her cheeks flushing as she gave him a slight shrug. “It was easy once they’d pulled their heads out of their asses,” She said teasingly. 

Tony barked out a laugh while some of the others snickered, but Thor’s boisterous booming laughter was enough to drown out all of it. Percy smiled softly, opening her eyes as she let her gaze drift down towards the floor, wondering how her life ended up like this. She swallowed hard, closing her eyes as she went to stand, but was quickly being assisted by Steve and Thor, while Tony and the other gave her some space.

“I-I think I need some space,” She whispered after a beat, keeping her eyes closed as she tried to ignore the tightness in her chest. 

“Of course,” Steve whispered, but the reluctance to leave her was obvious.

She turned to him, opening her eyes and looking to him quietly. She let her gaze flicker over his frame for a moment before she let them fall closed once again, turning to face the others as well. “Thank you…thank you so much for everything, you guys. I-I’m sorry it turned out like this,” She started to apologize.

Thor frowned, watching her carefully. “Percy, this was my fault, not yours. Do not apologize for anything, _ever,”_ He said sternly.

She swallowed hard, turning away from them as she walked towards the balcony doors, but made no move to step outside. She opened her eyes, staring out the glass doors and she realized she could see a faint glow in what was surely the sky. She swallowed hard, thinking back to what she could and could not see and wondered what she might see out there.

She closed her eyes again and shrugged. “Still, I seem to have ruined the evening…though I really did enjoy my party…so thank you,” She whispered. “Thank you for all of your gifts, your friendships…your love. Just, _thank you_.”

Bucky swallowed hard, watching her from the safety of the doorway, ready to dart outside in case she made to turn towards him. He felt like such a coward and yet he couldn’t bring himself to let her see him, not yet. He glanced towards Tony and Steve who were watching her worriedly and then Thor and the others who wore similar expressions on their faces.

“You never need to thank us for anything like that, Percy,” Tony murmured, glancing towards Steve who had taken a step closer towards their girlfriend.

“We love you so much, sweetheart,” Steve breathed, leaning in to kiss her temple. 

She smiled faintly, trying to keep the tears at bay for just a few more minutes. “I love you too,” She whispered, turning to press a kiss to his cheek; eyes still firmly shut.

He pulled back after she turned back away from him and then Tony was reaching out to caress her back, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I love you, darling. Don’t be afraid to come and get us or ask Jarvis if you need one of us, or something, _anything_ ,” He urged, searching her features, but she was already turning away from him as she nodded.

“Thank you,” She whispered simply, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

He stepped away from her then, wanting to give her the space she’d asked for. He glanced towards the doorway where Bucky stood, with Clint, Natasha and Bruce already gathered near him, ready to leave. “Good night, Percy,” Natasha said quietly, Clint and Bruce murmuring their good nights as well, along with a happy birthday or two.

She thanked them quietly, tears already starting to stream down her cheeks as she shut her eyes as tight as she could, listening to everyone leaving her room. Tony and Steve slipped out of the room, leaving only her, Bucky and Thor behind; Parker curled up quietly at the foot of her bed, silently surveying the scene.

For a moment, Bucky refused to leave, watching as Thor went to retrieve the book he’d cast aside from the floor. He picked it up, carrying it towards the bedside table before setting it down. He turned, just watching Percy as she seemed to fight with the urge to cry openly and he shook his head, walking towards her.

He reached out, placing his hand against her shoulder, just letting her feel his warmth through her shirt. “I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused you, Persephone. I only wanted to help. I only wanted you to experience the world because I knew you would be capable of seeing so much more than any of us ever could imagine. I know you can see the beauty in the darkness, my dear. I know you can see the good in all those around you.”

Percy shook her head, turning towards him then. She opened her eyes, blinking a couple of times as she tried to focus on the God before her, his light still so incredibly bright and awe inspiring. “I can see _so much_ and I don’t understand _any of it_ ,” She gasped, a sob catching in her throat.

He frowned, watching as tears escaped her. He reached out to brush them away and she closed her eyes for a moment as he wiped her cheek. “I know, my dear. But you will. That book will guide you…when you are ready. It will take time and patience, I’m sure and you must know that we will all be here for you,” He assured.

She nodded, turning away from him and he watched as she took a shaky breath. “This is a gift I do intend to cherish, Thor. Thank you…I know you only wanted to help and you have…just not in the way you had hoped, I suppose. But honestly?” She said, blinking away more tears. “I feel like this is a blessing. Loki and you both said I was worthy…I can’t agree with that in the slightest. I don’t know what to do with any of this, but I know what _not_ to do with it.”

“And what is that?” He asked curiously.

She blinked, shaking her head. “Take it for granted. Never take anything for granted.”

Thor’s gaze softened as he nodded. “You are indeed worthy, Persephone. You were right to be given The Sight, I only wish it was not forced upon you.”

“I would never had accepted it any other way,” She whispered, closing her eyes as she reached up to brush away some of her tears. 

Thor nodded walking towards the doorway where Bucky had remained silent as he watched the pair, feeling for all of the world like an outsider, an intruder who had no business being in the presence of a God let alone a Goddess such as herself. Thor looked to him quietly, a sympathetic look upon his face as he clasped a hand over his shoulder as he slipped out the door.

Bucky stood there in silence, watching as Percy took a deep and shaky breath. “I love you, James,” She whispered.

“And I love you, _my goddess_ ,” He murmured in Russian. 

“ _I promise_ -I promise not to look at you until you say I can-I just…can I have a kiss before you go?” She asked timidly, sounding so small and shy and _scared_.

Bucky nodded, coming towards her immediately. He stayed behind her for a moment before he reached out to her, brushing his flesh and blood fingers against her elbow and she quickly turned around, practically throwing her arms around him as she drew him against her, hugging him tightly. He melted against her, shutting his own eyes just as tight as she kept hers.

He kissed the top of her head and she tried to contain her tears as she held onto him so tightly. He soothed her, pressing a kiss to her temple as he caressed her back. “I’ve got you, my love. _Shhh_ ,” He murmured, reaching to lift her chin up towards him.

She was squeezing her eyes shut so tightly and his heart ached so damn bad as he pressed a kiss to her lips, caressing every inch of her he could reach as she clutched at him. She kissed him back hard, neither deepening the kiss past the firm press of lips. 

They stayed like that for a minute or two and slowly they parted, Percy turning her head away as she fought to keep her eyes closed. He watched her, torn between wanting to do the right thing and being so damn _scared_ of her seeing whatever darkness he was sure lie within him. He shook his head, pulling away from her and she turned away from him quickly as more tears escaped her.

“I’ll give you some space, Percy. Please don’t be afraid to come and get us. You know you can ask Jarvis for anything or call one of us if you need us,” He whispered.

She nodded, crossing her arms in front of her chest again, a clipped word of _yes_ escaping her as she fought back more tears. Bucky inhaled deeply as he watched her struggle and couldn’t bare to watch any longer. He slipped from the room, closing the door behind him and leaving her alone with Parker and her thoughts.

The second the door closed, she let out an awful sob, wanting to call out to him and beg him to let her see him: _all of him_. She didn't want him to be afraid of her. She shook her head, covering her face with her hands as she tried to control the terrible sobs wracking her body, but to no avail. 

She stay like that, just letting the tears come for some time until she felt Parker sit down beside her, leaning heavily against her leg. She knelt down beside him, looking to him as her sobs subsided, her eyes still brimming with tears as she looked at him with wide adoring eyes. She whispered softly to him as she hugged him to her for a time before she forced herself to get up and step outside in hopes the fresh air might help her calm down.

She looked out across the city in awe, blinking back the burning tears as she let her gaze wander, flickering over colours she’d had no idea even existed. She didn't know what any of it was, but as she looked out to the sky, she realized after a while that what she saw were stars in the sky, their pale flicker illuminating the darkness therein. 

She shook her head in wonder, wondering what else she might see in the darkness, a part of her relieved that she would no longer be left alone in the void of blackness she’d lived in for so long. She leant over the balcony and looked down below and was instantly met with thousands of flickering lights, millions of different colours blinking back at her.

She swallowed hard, closing her eyes as she stepped away from the railing in an attempt to collect herself. It was all just so overwhelming. She rubbed at her eyes, pressing her palms against them hard as she tried to get a handle on her emotions. She felt as if she were going mad, the stress of the night wreaking havoc on her body and on her heart. 

She pulled herself from the balcony, returning to her bedroom and stood in the darkness, her eyes closed as she let herself try and calm down for a few moments. She swallowed hard when she finally opened them, looking upon Parker who had returned to his spot at the foot of the bed. His glow was so calm, so soothing and her heart melted at the sight of him.

She felt a sort of peace as she looked upon him and she wiped her cheeks of the tears she’d been shedding before deciding to change into something more comfortable, thinking that she might perhaps curl up in bed with the pup. She undressed quietly, changing into a pair of leggings and a navy blue tank-top before sitting down at the edge of her bed.

She let out a shaky breath before prying herself from her spot and heading into the bathroom to wash up. Once she was finished brushing her teeth and washing her face, she started to brush out her hair. She stopped after only a moment though, looking straight ahead of her into the darkness. She swallowed hard, setting the brush down before tentatively reaching out over the sink.

She pressed the palm of her hand flat against the coolness of the mirror that she knew hung above the sink and blinked curiously as she gazed unseeing at it. Hesitantly, she let her hand slip from the mirror as she gazed down at her body. She saw nothing but black, nothing but the void and she shook her head, wondering why she possessed no colours like the others. 

“Am I really so immersed in darkness that I have become darkness?” She wondered aloud, shaking her head.

Her brows were pinched up in pain and she frowned, pulling herself away from the mirror and out of the bathroom. She tried not to dwell on it as she went back over towards the bed and sat down next to Parker. The pup whined softly and she pet him absently to quiet him, letting time just waste away around her for a while, not feeling up to doing anything other than sitting and thinking distractedly.

She blinked, reaching up and drawing her hair over her left shoulder as she started to braid her hair in a fish-tail. When she was finished, she stood and went to her dresser, searching through her purse for a hair tie. She slipped it on at the bottom of the braid and turned around, just staring around her bedroom as she leaned back against the dresser.

Her gaze was immediately shifting towards her nightstand where a grey aura seemed to gather, as if some kind of cloud were there. She frowned, brows furrowing in confusion as she started towards it, but the second she reached for it, she hesitated. She stood there, hand outstretched towards the object, suddenly realizing it was the book Thor had given her.

She stared at it, watching the grey cloud shift and change ever so slightly as she got closer to it. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and tentatively lifted it from the table, holding it gingerly. She wondered about it, wondered what it might show her. That brief flicker of colour had come with such a deep emotion and she’d not been able to take it.

She had felt the sorrow so acutely as if it were her own and she wondered what other things the book might possess. Carefully, she opened it, gazing down at the pages and the symbols therein. She could see each and every symbol, not entirely understanding their meaning as if it were an English word, but she had a sense of the emotion attached.

She scanned through the symbols, finding one that she felt drawn to and she reached out to touch it. There was instantly a flash of colour overtaking her, the most beautiful and bright peach and she gasped, her heart leaping practically into her throat at the amount of raw emotion that enveloped her. She felt so much love and so strongly that it nearly brought her to her knees once again and she had to rip her hand away from the page before she lost herself.

She blinked past the sudden tears that came to her and she swallowed hard as she breathed shakily, staring down at the book in wonder. Carefully she flipped through several more pages, scanning the dozens and dozens of symbols until she came to something different. “You’re kidding me,” She muttered, shaking her head suddenly.

“It’s like an instruction manual,” She said in annoyance, reading through the mess of symbols describing how to use the book.

She blinked, shaking her head incredulously when she came across the following passage; _Every emotion is linked to a colour. There are thousands of colours and millions of variations of each, because every being experiences varying degrees of each emotion. But every being will possess a colour unique to them that never changes, never alters. This is their aura, the true heart of them. To see this, is to see the Soul. To feel this, is to experience The Sight._

She swallowed hard, skimming over the next few pages, only to find something that said, _darkness_. She stilled, afraid to continue and realized that the book was sectioned into two parts. The beginning, where she had seen the several pages of emotions linked with their symbols and colours, then the brief explanation…and then the rest of the book which seemed to be dedicated to darkness. 

She shook her head, not daring to actually focus on the emotions listed past the brief mention of darkness and quickly returned to the front of the book. She contemplated letting herself fall into one of the more pleasant emotions. She thought that maybe she could rest her fingertips against one of the most purest emotions and just _feel_. 

She glanced over her shoulder towards Parker as he lay sleeping at the foot of her bed before drawing the book to her chest and turning back towards the balcony. Quietly, she walked towards it, slipping out onto the balcony and sitting down on one of the lounges. She gazed out into the night sky, small specks of light high above the Earth dancing in her vision. There was one far larger than the rest and so incredibly round and she realized it must be the Moon. She smiled, a broken hint of a thing before she set the book in her lap and started to read. 

Hours later, Percy found herself being lifted from the lounge chair on her balcony. She blinked dazedly as she was carried into her bedroom, Steve murmuring softly under his breath to her. “Jarvis called me…it was starting to rain, Percy. Have you been outside all night?” He asked her worriedly, his voice so full of love and concern. 

Percy shifted in his grasp as she nodded, barely able to focus on his words as she let her weary gaze flicker across his beautiful light, his beautiful colours. “I-I wanted to know,” She whispered, so tired, so mentally and emotionally drained as she let herself relax in his embrace. 

He sighed, bringing her over towards her bed. He set her down, intending to tuck her into bed, but she held on, her arms shifting to wrap around his neck. He was left bending awkwardly as he sat her down and he chuckled softly, reaching up and carefully detaching her arms. She pouted up at him, looking so sleepy and adorable and he smiled at her lovingly.

“What did you want to know?” He asked her, crouching down in front of her.

She blinked big brown doe eyes at him, her hand reaching out to press against his heart, feeling bare skin beneath her fingertips. She blushed lightly, realizing he wasn’t wearing a shirt and simply shrugged. “What all the colours meant,” She whispered.

Steve’s gaze softened as he watched her, reaching up and caressing her cheek lightly. “And what do they all mean?”

She smiled at him, lifting the book she’d had clutched in her free hand towards him. He reached out, looking at it curiously before setting it down beside them on the night stand. “I don’t know yet…there are too many to go through in one night,” She confessed, a yawn barely managing to wait until she’d finished speaking before it overtook her.

He chuckled softly and nodded. “You’d better get some sleep then, love. Especially if you plan on studying more tomorrow.”

She nodded, reaching up and rubbing her eyes. “I guess I could sleep,” She whispered reluctantly and he smiled, watching that adorable pout return.

He sighed, standing back up to help pull back the covers but she surprised him when she reached out to grasp his forearm gently. “Do…do you think I could come and stay with you tonight?” She asked quietly. “Your light is so soothing, so peaceful,” She murmured sleepily, already leaning towards him. 

He smiled down at her curiously. “You want to come and stay in my room…with Tony and Bucky too?”

She stilled, thinking about this for a moment, but then she nodded. “Yeah, that would be really nice. But-“

Steve’s brows furrowed as he watched her curiously. “But?” He prompted.

“But I promised,” She whispered, her face contorting in pain and he finally got it.

“You promised you wouldn’t look,” He finished for her, watching as she nodded reluctantly.

He nodded, reaching down to caress her hand as it lay over his arm. “I’ve got an idea,” He said, glancing towards her closet. “I’ll be right back,” He said, shifting away from her to head towards her closet.

He opened it, looking through her hangers before he pulled a thin light pink scarf from one of her jacket’s sleeves, having seen the spot of colour sticking out. He smiled, carefully folding it a couple of times to create a makeshift blindfold before he came back over towards her. “I have one of your scarves…do you think you’d be okay to sleep with it on? You won’t be able to see my colour though.”

“Will I get to feel your arms around me?” She asked shyly. 

He couldn’t help smiling so warmly at her as he nodded. “Of course, sweetheart,” He told her, bending down to kiss her forehead as he drew the blindfold around her.

She smiled tiredly and relaxed, closing her eyes as she bent her head to let him tie it. Once he was happy that it wasn’t too tight, he pulled back, looking down at her quietly, his heart aching as she reached out to him. She looked so vulnerable, so shy and he couldn’t help himself. He bent down to lift her as if she were a child.

Her arms wound around his neck immediately as his hands moved to lift her up. A soft noise of surprise escaped her as his arm slipped beneath her bum to carry her and he smiled as he wrapped his other around her middle, stretching his hand up towards the back of her neck, keeping her close. She relaxed almost instantly as she draped herself against him, tucking her cheek against his as she held onto him.

He smiled, closing his eyes for a moment as he just cherished the way she felt against him. Bucky used to carry him like this when they were younger, well before he’d ever been given the serum, but never after. He remembered how protected it made him feel, how loved and cared for it made him feel and he only hoped that Percy felt like that now.

He kissed her cheek softly and hummed to her as he started towards the door, glancing down at Parker as the pup hopped off the end of the bed and started to follow them. He smiled, shaking his head a little as he made his way down the hall and towards his bedroom. 

He slipped inside, only the light of the bedside lamp illuminating the large space and his gaze softened when he saw his lovers curled up tightly together, fast asleep. He carried her towards the bed and gingerly laid her down on his side, making sure to tuck her legs beneath the sheets as she turned onto her side towards Bucky’s front.

She was already nearly asleep by the time he crawled in behind her and he wrapped his arm around her, his hand settling protectively over her stomach as he held her close. She let out a soft sigh, her body finally succumbing to the sleep she so clearly needed and he relaxed, letting his eyes drift closed as he felt Parker hop up onto the bed by his feet, carving out a little space for himself to nestle in with them.


	14. Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a word of warning! The next chapters haven't been written yet! So this will be the last one while I continue and then edit the new ones I'll be starting on. <3 I hope you've been enjoying the story thus far and don't worry, I'll try very hard not to keep you waiting for the good stuff. ^_^

Steve awoke slowly early the next morning, a steady weight pressing down on his chest. He frowned, taking a deeper breath, feeling a little restricted and popped open one eye to see what was the matter. He nearly chuckled when he came face to face with Parker, the pup having moved to literally sprawl across his front, head propped up on his sternum. He smiled, shaking his head when the pup’s eyes flashed open and his tail started swishing against the covers.

“Okay, pup. Come on, I’ll take you for a walk,” He whispered, trying to quietly get him to move so that they could both get up without disturbing the others.

He couldn’t help smiling fondly at his lovers still sleeping soundly in bed, Bucky having drawn Percy close sometime in the early hours of the morning with Tony practically sprawled out on his back, arm thrown casually up over his head as he slept. He quickly changed into some of his running gear before walking out the door with Parker in tow as they headed downstairs for their morning walk.

Nearly forty minutes later, Tony awoke, letting out a deep sigh as he turned onto his side and cuddled up against Bucky’s back. He smiled into the brunette’s longer hair, inhaling deeply as he listened to the sounds of his breathing, but then he realized he couldn’t hear Steve’s breathing, but there was a softer inhale and exhale that he couldn’t quite place. 

He cracked open his eyes, raising his head slightly and couldn’t help smiling, before promptly freezing. There was Percy, wrapped up in Bucky’s strong arms, her own hands resting gently against his chest as she let herself be held so close, head tucked into the crook of his neck…with a scarf wrapped around her eyes. His heart broke at the sight and he carefully pulled himself up into a sitting position, looking down at the pair.

They had spoken about it when they’re crawled into bed the night before together. About how Bucky was so terrified of Percy seeing him for what he felt he was. Seeing his mistakes, his anger and hatred for Hydra and everything they’d done to him, for everything they’d turned him into. They’d tried to insist that he was wrong, that he wasn’t anyone but himself now and he was an incredible human being with a heart of gold; no matter what he thought. 

They’d tried to convince him that whatever he thought she might see in him didn’t exist, but it seemed to be a losing battle. There wasn’t anything they could say to him to convince him otherwise. So as Tony sat there staring down at the pair, he got an idea. And yes, he’d always been labelled a shit-disturber, but he’d take the fall again if it somehow fixed how Bucky thought of himself.

So, very quietly, he slipped out of bed and walked around to the other side. He gazed down at the pair lovingly, watching them sleep with Bucky curled up around her and almost protecting her. She looked so calm and peaceful in his strong arms and he smiled warmly before reaching and brushing the backs of his knuckles against her hair…and then grasped the edge of the blindfold.

He tugged on the knot carefully, watching as it gave and gave and then finally unwound enough that it slipped from over her right eye. He bit down on his lower lip before leaning down over her and pressing a kiss to her temple, brushing back some of her long locks from her cheek. She stirred slightly, taking a deeper breath and he calmly and quietly withdrew, slipping out of the room before she could wake up fully.

Percy inhaled deeply, making to stretch, but she quickly cut the motion short when she felt arms around her tighten reflexively as she made to pull away. She furrowed her brow in confusion as she thought back to the night before and her cheeks heated as she recalled having asked Steve if she could stay with him and in turn, Bucky and Tony.

She bit her lower lip hard as she cuddled in closer, feeling the coolness of Bucky’s metal arm against her side where her tank top had ridden up a bit, the palm of his hand resting protectively against her lower back. She relaxed into his embrace, sighing as she let her hands splay wide against his chest…until she realized he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

She had to stifle the moan that wanted to escape her as she let her fingertips caress over his chest, feeling the firmness of his pectorals beneath her hands. She smiled, burying her face against the crook of his neck a bit more before she inhaled deeply. She stay like that for a few minutes, just relaxing in his warm embrace as she listened to his breathing, feeling his steady heartbeat as it sounded beneath her fingertips.

She blinked, feeling more awake now than a few minutes ago. She wasn’t sure what woke her exactly, but she didn't mind the peacefulness of the morning, being wrapped up in his loving arms in their bed…and then realized she couldn’t hear Tony or Steve’s breathing.

She frowned, blinking open her eyes a bit more and then immediately stilled, her breath feeling as if it were being squeezed from her lungs in an instant. She stared in open-mouthed awe at the man tucked up and curled around her in complete wonder. Her one visible eye could clearly see a beautiful and all encompassing light emanating from him and she tried to draw back so that she could see him better without waking him.

She knew she had promised not to look, however, and she quickly squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to break that promise. She must have made a sound, however, and Bucky let out a soft sigh as he shifted, slowly regaining consciousness and she started to tremble in his grasp. She tried to be careful and move to fix the blindfold around her eyes, but only seemed to make it worse. 

She blinked, now both eyes visible and must have made a soft sound of distress as she stared openly at his beautiful inner light. She swallowed hard as she peeked up at him, watching as he started to wake up. He breathed in deeply, his eyes blinking open sleepily as his arms held her just a little tighter before slowly relaxing as he seemed to realize who he was holding.

He huffed softly under his breath as he came to, his lips quirking slightly, the beginnings of a smile as he drew back and looked down at her and immediately stiffened when he saw the wide-eyed look she was giving him; one of her scarves half on, half off of her face. He blinked in confusion for a moment, realizing that she must have been wearing it as a makeshift blindfold…and now she wasn’t.

Panic seemed to start to take over and he inhaled sharply when he realized she could in fact see him…or- _well-_ his colours. Her hands were clutching at him as she stared openly at him, her eyes shifting, flitting over him as she drank in the sight of his light. His tongue suddenly felt too thick for his mouth and he fumbled, trying to think of what to say.

“ _I’m so sorry_ ,” She suddenly breathed, unable to shut her eyes, nor even blink as she continued to stare so openly at him. “I had a blindfold on-Steve helped me- _but-_ “ She went on, seemingly unable to continue.

Bucky swallowed hard, his stomach feeling as if a pit had opened and he was sinking, sinking so deep and fast and nothing could bring him back from it. She could see the shifting of his colours taking place so quickly, so suddenly. It was as if his beautiful colours were being swallowed up by such a blinding white light, similar to what she’d seen in Natasha the night before and she knew it must be fear. But his wasn’t just muting the colours of his heart, the white light seemed to be completely _erasing_ all other colours in him.

She shook her head, her brows pinching up in concern. She didn’t know what to do or say and instead simply reached out to him, pressing her palm flat over where his heart colour had been only a moment before. “ _Stop_ ,” She said softly. “Please stop,” She begged brokenly.

Bucky choked on his next breath, shaking his head as he started to pull away from her, but she wouldn’t let him. Her nails dug into his skin slightly as she shook her head adamantly, moving to sit up as she pressed him back against the bed.

“ _Percy,_ ” He tried weakly, staring up at her nervously as he let her push him backwards.

“You’re so scared,” She gasped, tears rushing to her eyes as she blinked down at him. “You’re afraid of me.”

“ _No!_ ” He said quickly, shaking his head at her.

He reached up and grasped her wrist as she pinned him to the bed. She was staring down at him, twisted slightly on her side as she sat upright and looked upon him. “I’m not afraid of you, Percy,” He whispered. “I’m afraid of what you’ll see in me.”

She shook her head, shifting so that she was braced slightly over top of him, her hand still splayed wide over his heart. “All I can see right now is this intense white light. But before-“ She tried weakly, shaking her head. “Your heart looked so bea-“

He immediately interrupted her, shaking his head as he tried to get up. “ _Percy,_ I’m so full of only God knows what. I’m not good like _Steve_ or _Tony_ or anyone else on the Team! I’m not _good!_ ” He tried to insist as he attempted to slip out from under her hand.

She scowled at him, shoving her hand against his chest as hard as she could. Against a super-soldier, it was obviously nothing he couldn’t brush off, but he stilled, watching as she moved to straddle his hips; forcing him back against the bed. His eyes widened and he went with her push, letting her move over top of him as she now braced both hands against his chest.

“But you _are!_ ” She gasped, shaking her head as she stared down at him, blinking quickly as she tried to focus on him, tried to see his real colours through all the white light. “I saw your colours for just a moment, James. I _saw them_ ,” She breathed, her hands moving to caress and soothe him.

He turned his head away from her, shutting his eyes tightly as he tried to regain control of himself. He felt absolutely _terrified_ under her gaze and he had to swallow a couple of times to find any kind of voice. “You must have seen how dark I am then, Percy. You must have seen how corrupt and just _awful_ I am. I’ve done so many _terrible_ things-killed so many-“

“ _James!_ ” She breathed, shaking her head. “I saw _none_ of those things in you. I know your past was clouded, I know you went through Hell and back to get to us here, to get to us now. But you are not all doom and gloom. Your colours are not dark and awful or _corrupt_ ,” She said sternly, staring down at him lovingly.

Her gaze softened then and she shook her head slowly. “I saw beautiful colours in you. They’re hiding right now, my love. But you shone so brightly for just a moment, all golds and blues,” She murmured, leaning down over him.

He inhaled shakily as he turned his head back towards her, meeting her almost reverent look as she leaned down closer to him. He swallowed hard, wondering how much of him she could see. He wondered about what The Sight showed her exactly, aside from the colours and for a moment, he’d missed what she’d said.

“You-you saw blue…in me?” He asked hesitantly, letting himself think back to what she’d whispered, still blinking wide frightened eyes up at her.

She smiled warmly at him as she gently brushed her nose against his, her lips hovering so close to his. “I did…some of the brightest most vibrant hues I’ve ever seen,” She whispered. 

Bucky swallowed, his eyes searching hers. He loved the little amber flecks he could see in them and he tentatively reached up and cupped the side of her face with his metal hand. She didn’t flinch in the slightest at the coolness of the metal pressing against her skin and instead, she leaned into his tender caress. “That’s my favourite colour, you know,” He whispered timidly and Percy’s lips curved up into a delightful smile.

She watched as the brightness, the blinding white light enveloping him seemed to ease some and she relaxed against him, her hands still idly caressing his chest. “It’s a good colour on you,” She whispered in response, gently brushing her lips against his in a featherlight kiss.

Bucky’s breathing hitched and he let his eyes close briefly as he let his hand slip to cup the side of her neck. “You’re so beautiful, James. So beautiful…just let me see you,” She cooed, leaning in closer, her hand sliding up the length of his chest to caress the side of his face.

Bucky couldn’t help the slight tremble in his limbs at that and he pressed his lips to hers just so. She breathed in shakily as she kissed him back, their lips fitting together so perfectly. Their eyes drifted shut as their kiss deepened and Bucky’s flesh and blood hand came to settle against her hip, just holding her against him.

Percy was draped over top of him, her hips flush against his abdomen as she nearly lost herself in his kiss and Bucky seemed to be just as lost to it as she was. He slowly started to relax beneath her, his hands caressing her as he deepened the kiss, parting his lips for her and coaxing her to do the same. She made a pleased sound in the back of her throat and parted her own, their tongues meeting part way and then Bucky was delving into her warmth, his tongue pressing insistently inside.

Her hand against his cheek slipped to brace herself against the bed as her other hand moved to caress down his chest. His next breath stuttered in his chest as her fingertips grazed against his nipple, his hand on her hip flexing. He groaned softly against her as she did it again and he couldn’t help caressing down her neck as he nipped and licked at her bottom lip, drawing it away from her ever so slightly.

She gasped against him, nearly whimpering as his hand slipped around her back, resting his palm against her as he forced her to gently press down against him. He couldn’t help the groan from escaping him at the warm, solid pressure of the young woman as they nearly ground together.

Percy jerked against him slightly as he suddenly bit down on her bottom lip teasingly, raising his hips to press against her more firmly as he held her to him. She whimpered as she broke the kiss, gasping out, “ _Bucky._ ”

Bucky stilled beneath her, his breath leaving him in a near comical _whoosh_ sound and Percy blinked big round dark eyes at him as she pulled back slightly. His colours were changing so quickly, she couldn’t even begin to pin any of them down, all shifting and bleeding one into the next; that terribly bright white light having nearly vanished from him entirely. 

“D-did you-“ Bucky started to say, but his voice came out far hoarser than he intended and he had to clear his throat before he continued. “Y-you’ve never called me Bucky before.”

Percy swallowed, still staring wide-eyed and beautiful at him, her cheeks flushed and hair wild from sleep, despite the braid she’d put it in. “I-I never thought it right of me to. I never thought I deserved that privilege,” She whispered uncertainly.

Bucky shook his head, his own eyes wide, his own cheeks flushed and his hair definitely a bit wild. “Say it again,” He said in nothing more than a breathy whisper.

Percy was trembling as she looked to him, watching his colours shift and take on a darker set of hues. She bit down on her lower lip as she stared openly at him for a moment longer before she braced her hand flat over his heart, leaning down over him. He inhaled shakily as she let her lips hover dangerously close to his own and then she murmured once more, “ _Bucky._ ”

He groaned at the breathy sound of her voice saying his name so fucking _perfectly_ and he surged up, gripping the back of her neck with his flesh and blood hand as he flipped her onto her back and pressed in between her spread legs. She cried out softly in surprise, back arching as her hands shot out to wind themselves in his hair as his lips found hers once more, silencing her.

He groaned, unable to help himself from grinding against her deliberately slow. She whimpered, her grasp on his hair tightening just a bit before he broke the kiss, nearly panting with the effort to keep still. “ _Percy,_ ” He breathed. “You have every right to call me Bucky, sweetheart. You can call me Bucky whenever you want. Just be aware I might have difficulty not jumping you for the first while, while I get used to the sound of my name sounding so _goddamn_ _sexy_ falling from your lips,” He said, a soft laugh escaping him.

Percy beamed at him, so caught up in the colours in him and the sound of his incredibly pleased voice. “I might be okay with that,” She said, biting her lower lip as she gazed up at him through lowered lashes.

He smiled down at her, shaking his head in disbelief as he bit down on his own bottom lip. She really was perfect. He was quickly distracted, however, when he heard a bit of a scuffle outside the bedroom door, Steve’s voice ringing clear, “You _meddled?!_ ” He nearly hissed and Bucky and Percy both glanced towards the sound of the blonde’s clearly unimpressed voice.

“Yes, _Steve._ I _meddled_ and I’m sure they’re just fine,” Tony started to reassure from the other side of the doorway and Bucky and Percy both blinked, brows furrowing as they looked towards the sounds of their voices. 

But Steve was already going off on a tangent and Bucky turned his gaze back towards the young woman. “Uh…something tells me your blindfold didn’t just magically undo itself…especially if you said Steve helped you put it on,” He said gently.

Percy blinked, the crease between her brows disappearing as a timid smile tugged at her lips. “I guess Tony may have had something to do with that?” 

Bucky couldn’t help chuckling softly, both of them still listening to Steve and Tony arguing in hushed whispers outside the door. “I guess so,” Bucky murmured, leaning into the young woman’s touch as she reached up and cupped the side of his face.

Percy smiled up at him, still drinking in the sight of him and all of his wonderful colours. “You’re so beautiful, Bucky,” She murmured tenderly.

Bucky swallowed hard, watching her nervously. She could see the white light trying to envelop him again and she quickly shook her head. “Relax, love. You’re _fine_ , James. You don’t need to be frightened by what you think I might see. I can tell you what I do see,” She whispered, leaning up to nuzzle her nose against his.

He swallowed hard and nodded jerkily as she let herself lay back down, looking up at him adoringly. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful before,” She murmured. “You are like an ocean…all these beautiful blues,” She said, her hand trailing down along his chest, her fingers just barely ghosting across his heated skin.

He swallowed hard, watching as she bit down on her lower lip as she continued to gaze up at him. “The deepest most beautiful shades of navy, indigo, sapphire and sky blues,” She nearly gasped. “And your gorgeous heart…”

Bucky watched in awe as she pressed her palm flat against his chest, right over his heart. “I-is it dark?” He asked, dreading the answer.

She smiled up at him, her brows pinching up in concern as she shook her head. “Not in the slightest,” She whispered. “I want to call it aquamarine, but it’s not-it’s so much _more_ than that,” She breathed. “It’s as if your heart is bathed in golds, protected and encompassed and the centre is such a sweet, innocent blue,” She whispered, blinking up at him. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life.”

Bucky’s brows were pinched up, his lips parted as he stared down at her in complete and utter disbelief. “ _Percy,_ ” He very nearly choked, a dry sob wanting to escape him. 

She looked up into his face then, her gaze softening as she caressed over his heart and up towards the joint where metal joined with his flesh and blood. “It’s true,” She whispered, her fingertips caressing against the scars she felt there.

He couldn’t help the sob then and her brows pinched even more as she watched his colours shift. “Shhh,” She murmured, leaning up to nuzzle at his nose, kissing him tenderly as she slipped her arm around his shoulders; her hand caressing the baby-soft hairs at the back of his neck. 

“I’ve got you my love, my Bucky,” She whispered against his lips.

He groaned, his flesh and blood hand clutching at her side as he held her close while his metal hand gripped the sheets at her side. He couldn’t stop himself from stealing her lips in a far more heated kiss than he’d intended and she immediately melted into it, giving herself over to him. 

“ _Percy_ -Percy- ** _Percy-_** “ He gasped against her lips desperately, pressing himself firmly against her front. 

Unfortunately, they didn’t get a moment to continue as the bedroom door opened and Steve pushed Tony inside hurriedly. “Are you two-“ Tony started nervously, but immediately stopped, eyes widening in surprise when he took in the scene before him.

Steve stood just over his shoulder in the doorway, his mouth quickly dropping open as he too seemed to take in the two on the bed. Percy’s cheeks were flushed as she turned her head away from them and Bucky glanced towards them, a nervous and yet somehow cheeky smile on his face as he got a look at their lovers. 

“Uh,” Tony said, obviously surprised to have found them in such a compromising position. 

Steve cleared his throat, having successfully picked his jaw up off the floor and was now grinning stupidly at the pair. Bucky huffed, shaking his head as he disentangled himself from Percy and helped her sit up. She was blushing furiously, however, and he couldn’t help chuckling under his breath as he watched her flush only darken as he linked her hand with his.

“Thanks for meddling, Tony,” Bucky said gently, casting a glance towards the brunette.

Tony swallowed hard, a tentative smile tugging at his lips as he straightening up a bit. “You’re welcome.”

“Hopefully Steve didn’t ream you out too bad,” Bucky chuckled, watching as Steve shook his head in amusement.

“You know I love it when he-“ Tony started to say, his tone obviously teasing and Steve immediately elbowed him to get him to cut that bit short.

Bucky and Tony cackled and Percy bit her lower lip as she turned her gaze towards them. She smiled warmly over at the pair and shook her head. “So,” She said softly, moving to stand. 

The three men looked to her quietly, Bucky’s whispered repetition of, “ _so?_ ” reaching her ears. “This is pretty crazy, isn’t it?” She asked nervously.

Their gazes softened collectively and they nodded. “It definitely is,” Steve agreed quietly. 

“How are you feeling?” Tony asked her tentatively.

Percy shrugged a little, rubbing her arm nervously. “Still a bit beside myself, I guess. I’m just…I’m not sure how to take it all.”

They nodded, watching her quietly. “Do you want to talk about it?” Tony whispered.

Percy shook her head. “N-no, I just…I think I just need some more time to process. That book Thor gave me, it’s something else entirely.”

Bucky nodded, glancing over towards Steve and Tony who were clearly looking concerned by the whole thing. “I guess I should pack my things though,” She whispered almost absently. 

Steve blinked in surprise. “Why would you do that?”

Percy shrugged and then casually waved her right hand. “Loki healed my wrist…I know that I was only staying here while it healed-“ She started, only to be interrupted by Tony’s scoff.

“Uh- _no-_ you are more than welcome to stay as long as you like, darling. We are happy to have you here and would never make you just up and leave after going through something like this,” Tony said firmly.

Percy swallowed hard before nodding hesitantly. “Thank you…that-that means a lot to me you guys,” She whispered, casting her gaze to the floor. 

The boys simply smiled. “We just made breakfast…want to join us?” Steve offered.

Percy smiled, giving him a more decisive nod. “That sounds good to me.”

The three men seemed to breathe sighs of relief at this and soon they were all heading towards the kitchen to enjoy breakfast together. 


	15. Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...there's no smut in this one, but the next and final chapter will have ALL OF THE SMUT, I promise, xD. It's taken me forever to get here, but I swear it'll be well worth the wait. So, I hope you like this chapter all the same and keep an eye out for the final chapter in the coming week or two. I usually spend way too much time on the smut, so be forewarned. <3

By mid morning, however, Percy realized she had a _teensy_ problem and by teensy problem, she meant like an astronomically world shatteringly _embarrassing_ kind of problem. She just couldn’t stop _staring_.

It got to the point where she was in mid sentence-chatting with Tony about something he’d been working on with the Iron-Man suit and listening intently to all the technobabble she really didn’t have a hope in hell of understanding-when she’d just suddenly gone very still. Her entire world feeling as if it’d been turned on its head when Tony’s heart colours seemed to shift and change into something else entirely, taking up all of her attention.

It was a whole five-minutes of her staring in open-mouthed shock at the genius as he clearly showed his passion and love for his Iron-Man suit and she felt like a complete and utter _idiot_ when she came to _._ Tony had smiled fondly at her, filling the sudden silence with chattering on, but he clearly noticed the change in her demeanour and tried not to draw attention to it.

Until, however, he stopped talking and just let her stare at him. He was so amused, clearly, and he finally had to draw her attention towards something else, or at least, try to. It took him nearly a minute longer of saying her name before she finally seemed to come out of her daze. 

She snapped her mouth shut, her cheeks flushing crimson almost instantly when she realized she’d been outright staring at him for so long and hadn’t heard a thing he’d said to her in the last few minutes. She’d apologized profusely and he’d simply shrugged, smiled and waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. It’s nice to know that I’m just as wildly attractive on the inside as the outside,” He said, obviously amused.

Percy had laughed nervously, still blushing so sweetly as she’d become flustered. Steve had managed to distract her then, offering her some fresh strawberries while Tony and Bucky tidied up the breakfast dishes. It wasn’t long after, that she’d disappeared off to shower and change and when she’d come out of her bedroom with the book Thor had given her clutched tightly in her hand, they’d let her alone as she’d quietly made her way out to the balcony with Parker by her side.

Steve had flitted around nervously for a while, both Tony and Bucky also seeming to be at a bit of a loss as to how they should handle this whole thing. Uncertain if she wanted time by herself or company, uncertain as to whether she’d mind having them check in with her or bring her a drink or a treat to nibble on. They were all so uncertain of how they should handle the whole thing.

Percy didn’t seem to realize they were struggling with how to be around her as she stared out in open awe at the sky and everything beyond. She realized fast enough that she couldn’t see inanimate objects- _mostly_ -but it seemed as if she could see living things… _all_ living things. She wondered at the beauty of what the sky seemed to hold, what all the colours of the Sun seemed to convey as well.

She could see thousands of moving lights down below her in the city and then wondered at all the stationary ones. She wanted to go see what they were, she wanted to understand this new world as it was revealed to her. So she finally got up from her spot just before noon and gathered up Parker’s harness.

“A-are you going out?” Steve asked her gently.

Percy glanced over towards the sound of his voice, smiling shyly as she looked upon all his beautiful colours. “I’m going to go and check on the house, bring Parker along for a walk too,” She said quietly, her gaze flickering over his glow.

He nodded, smiling nervously. “Would you like some company?”

Percy’s smile fell a little then and she shook her head. “I think I’d like to make the trip by myself. I won’t be gone too long though, _promise_.”

Steve nodded, trying not to appear too disappointed. Little did he know, his colours shifted then and even though she didn’t know what they all meant, she was pretty sure she could see the disappointment her answer had brought him. “Okay, Percy. We’ll see you later, right?” He asked her.

“I’ll be back before dinner,” She assured him, reaching into the hall closet for her jacket.

She didn’t pull it on, however, and simply searched its pockets before withdrawing her sunglasses. Steve’s entire expression fell as he watched her pull them on and she quickly ducked out of the apartment and into the elevator. For a moment he wanted to go after her, just to double check that she was okay, but he couldn’t quite make himself move. He hadn’t seen her wear her sunglasses in so long…to see her put them on was just… _awful_.

Bucky stepped up beside him then and slipped his flesh and blood hand into the blonde’s hand, squeezing gently. “She’s okay, right Buck?” Steve asked quietly. 

Bucky stared at the closed elevator doors with his lover, hoping that he wasn’t about to lie to him. “She’ll be alright, Stevie. Come on, I had an idea,” He said, biting his lower lip as he glanced over at Tony who was busy rifling through the cupboards.

Steve glanced over at him, raising a curious brow. “Oh?”

Bucky smiled up at him, inclining his head towards the kitchen and Tony therein. “Come on,” He said, giving the blond a wink.

Steve smiled nervously, but nodded, giving Bucky’s hand a firm squeeze in return before the brunette was leading him off towards the kitchen.

Percy soon found herself traversing the busy streets of New York, gripping Parker’s lead far too tightly. The pup seemed to sense her discomfort and kept very close to the young woman who was clearly distracted and feeling very overwhelmed. Her gaze was flitting everywhere as she hid behind the safety of her sunglasses and she had great difficulty keeping her head focused forwards as she walked towards home.

There were just so many colours. She was starting to grow rather uncomfortable too, her heart rate picking up and a cold sweat breaking out across her forehead despite the heat. She swallowed hard, reaching up to touch the strand of pearls around her neck. Her fingertips settled over the diamond in the centre and she swallowed hard picking up her pace. As she came towards her flat, she couldn’t help bolting towards the steps, trying not to trip as she reached for the banister.

She stumbled, despite trying to be careful and Parker whined as she tugged on his lead sharper. “ _Sorry-_ “ She gasped, glancing down at him nervously.

Parker whined again and she patted the top of his head as she walked up the rest of the steps and unlocked her door. The second she got inside, she shut the door tight, barely managing to lock it before she was slipping down to the floor in a very ungraceful heap. 

She sobbed, shaking her head as she pulled her sunglasses off and buried her face in her hands. Parker whined loudly, pawing at her leg as he nudged at her hands. But she ignored him for the moment, trying to reign herself in and control the awful sobs that were trying to wrack her frame. Parker didn’t give up, however, and instead started licking at her hands until she couldn’t ignore him any longer.

She was shaking as she pulled her face from her hands and instead wound her fingers in his long fur, tugging him between her legs as she pressed her forehead against his. “I’m sorry, pup. I’m sorry,” She breathed, pressing a kiss to the bridge of his nose.

He seemed to huff in response and she held him tighter, trying to calm herself down. She stayed like that for a few minutes, just breathing deeply as she calmed some. After a while she managed to pull herself from the floor and proceeded to check on the rest of the house.

Everything appeared to be fine and she decided to take a peek out back and water some of her flowers. They’d been by a few days earlier to do so, but she figured while she was here, it couldn’t hurt. She slipped out the back door and promptly froze, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked out towards her garden. She swallowed hard and pushed the door open even more as she stepped outside. 

Parker trotted past her then, nearly knocking her over in his excitement as he did so. She inhaled deeply as she closed the door behind her and made her way down the few steps towards the patio and garden that bracketed either side of the walkway. She stopped at the nearest batch of flowers she’d planted only a few weeks ago and shook her head in amazement, kneeling down on the patio stones as she reached out to tentatively brush her fingertips against the petals.

The incredibly _bright_ petals. They practically glowed, shining with a soft yellow aura around them and she bit down hard on her lower lip as she caressed the petals timidly. “All living things,” She whispered absently to herself, letting her gaze follow along the dozens of soft auras she knew must be her garden’s flowers.

Even the grass and tree at the far end of her backyard was so beautifully bright that she found herself staring at them in open-mouthed awe. She’d been so distracted on the walk home by all the people, by all of their lights shining back at her so brightly, so blindingly, that she’d not let herself see the trees and grass and maybe even wildlife around her.

She’s seen thousands of different colours in the people that passed her by and some were darker than others, some far brighter, but none of them compared to the auras she’d seen in the Team. She trembled a little as she withdrew her hand, standing up and quietly making her way towards the tree at the end of the walkway.

She timidly reached out towards it, pressing her palm flat against the bark and inhaled deeply as she just let herself feel its solid weight beneath her fingertips, watching its steady glow. Parker barked a moment later, however, drawing her attention and she turned, momentarily startled by the blinding aura surrounding whomever Parker had greeted rather excitedly.

She smiled nervously, withdrawing her hand from the tree as she turned around. “Thor?” She asked quietly, taking a couple of steps towards the demi-god.

Thor smiled gently at her, taking a few more steps towards her. “Yes, Percy. I hope I am not intruding, but I went to see you and Steven told me you’d gone out. Are you alright?”

She swallowed hard and nodded shakily as she turned to face him properly. “I-I want to say yes, but I don’t think I am, not really,” She whispered, ducking her head a little as she let her gaze shift to focus on nothing but the darkness between them.

He frowned, stepping up to her. He reached out to her then, tilting her chin up slightly so that she was forced to look at him and watched as she tried to shy away from his gentle grasp. He didn’t let her. “I am sorry, Percy. Is there anything I can do to help?”

She shrugged, trying to shake her head a little and once she’d managed to keep her chin up, he released his careful hold of her. “No, I just, I just needed some space. I felt a bit rude earlier, felt like I couldn’t stop staring at Tony and I didn’t want to make him or anyone else uncomfortable. This is just so strange…” She admitted.

Thor nodded, observing her quietly for a moment. “I wish I could say that I understand, my dear. But I am sure it is quite a change for you to experience something like this and I would hope that you would know that staring at any of us; Steven, James and Tony included, would never begrudge you the opportunity to do so. Not when we have been given the same opportunity to look upon you for so long.”

She nodded, closing her eyes for a moment to steady herself. He really was very bright, his colours something else entirely and she struggled with the urge to blink too much or squint at the brightness of them all. “Thank you, Thor. I-I know I shouldn’t be embarrassed for staring, I just, I don’t want to upset anyone…mostly James, if I’m being really honest,” She sighed, opening her eyes and looking away towards her garden.

“Ah,” He murmured, watching as her gaze shifted and he allowed his to settle upon her lovely garden. “He is afraid of what you will see in him?” He asked.

She nodded. “He was, but this morning, we sort of worked it out, talked about it and it all worked out,” She explained.

Thor nodded, still gazing upon the multitude of flowers in the young woman’s garden. “I am glad to hear it.”

She nodded in agreement, a silence growing between them. It wasn’t strained or uncomfortable, just a quiet peace between them while they listened to the birds and the buzzing of insects around them and Parker’s soft panting close by. They stayed like that for a little while, both eventually moving to sit down on the steps of her small deck to just enjoy the weather. It wasn’t overly hot outside, just on the warm side, the Sun already fairly high in the sky, but it would soon begin to set.

Percy let out a soft sigh then, looking down at her clasped hands in front of her, knowing they were there, but unable to see them. She frowned, stretching her hands out in front of her for a moment and wondering not for the first time, why she couldn’t see her own colours.

Thor seemed to notice her attention had shifted and he regarded her curiously for a moment. He smiled when he realized she must be admiring her own colours and he nudged her with his shoulder, remembering at the last moment to check his strength. “What are your colours like, my dear?”

Her frown only deepened at that and she shifted to turn to face him slightly. Her gaze was open, admiring and awed and he smiled encouragingly at her, forgetting she couldn’t see him like that, not exactly. But she must have sensed it or seen something in the shift of his aura as she looked to him and she shrugged slightly, letting her gaze flit back towards where she had placed her hands against her knees.

“I-“ She started, but had to clear her throat before she could continue, her voice having gone a little hoarse with feeling. “I can’t actually see my own colours.”

Thor’s brows drew together curiously as he thought about that. “You can see nothing?”

She nodded jerkily, pushing out a breath as she turned her head away from him. “Just the void. Complete and utter darkness,” She whispered, unable to keep the disdain from lacing her voice.

“Persephone,” He whispered, his brows pinching up in concern.

Percy shifted, suddenly growing defensive for no particular reason. She huffed out a breath and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “It’s not a big deal,” She said hastily, trying to cover up her momentary lapse.

“But it is-“ Thor tried to press, his tone growing insistent.

Percy glared ahead of her into the darkness, the colours of her garden bleeding in around the edges. She pushed herself up, shaking her head, unable to keep herself as calm as she perhaps would have liked for the moment. “ _It isn’t-_ “ She insisted back petulantly and Thor let out a very deep sigh, shaking his head in frustration.

“ _Persephone_ ,” He breathed, tone careful.

She turned then, looking towards his blindingly bright aura and watching the colours shift and change drastically. She couldn’t remember what any of the colours might be from studying the book and she frowned a little at the tone of his voice. It was stern and commanding and perhaps a touch disbelieving.

“You really don’t believe you are, do you?” He murmured, getting to his feet and taking a step towards her.

She stilled, staring at him in confusion for all of a minute before she managed to reply, “What?”

Thor shook his head, his heart colours growing brighter for a moment as he reached out to her and cupped her cheek. She didn’t flinch, merely allowed him to rest his palm against her. He was warm and solid and his hand was huge, now that she thought about it; the tips of his fingers stretching back to caress her ear. She swallowed hard, blinking up at him.

“There’s a reason you can’t see your own colours, Percy. The Sight…I-Loki told me many things about it, about what he knew of it. It is very old magic, my dear. It shows you so many things, but Percy-you have to believe, to _want_ to see the good or the bad in those around you. If you don’t believe in the goodness of others, if you don’t believe that there _is_ goodness in others, you won’t see it. That also pertains to yourself, Persephone,” He told her, his hand slipping from her cheek to settle against her shoulder.

The weight of it, the warmth of his hand settled into her and comforted her. She breathed deeply for a moment and just let his presence wash over her as his colours shifted and swirled for a moment. “You did not believe you were worthy of it, did you?”He asked quietly.

She shook her head, swallowing past the lump in her throat. “N-no.”

Thor sighed then, frowning slightly. “Is it a shame you do not see it,” He whispered. “I may not be able to see your light as you see mine, but I see a strength in you, a different sort of light. You are a warrior, a goddess too and I know that in time you will believe it, you will see the beauty in you as the world does, as I do…as your loves do,” He went on quietly.

Her brows pinched and she shook her head. “How can I believe it when I can’t see it?”

Thor smiled softly as he observed her. “There are other ways.”

Percy’s brows furrowed even deeper as she thought about his response, but then Parker was barking softly and reminding them of his presence. Apparently it was his dinner time and he had decided to make his presence very well known. They both looked to him and Thor laughed softly, “I suppose it’s his supper time.”

Percy smiled softly and nodded, kneeling down as she reached for Parker to give him a good pet. “It is, guess we’d better head back and get him fed,” She agreed.

Thor nodded gravely. “That would be wise…it also might be good to get back and check on your loves. The last I saw, James and Tony were making quite the mess in the kitchen and Steven was trying very hard to keep it contained.”

Percy’s curious gaze turned up to him then and she tilted her head in confusion. “They were cooking?” She asked in disbelief.

“Baking, actually,” He said easily, watching as the young woman’s eyes widened. “Something about a pie, I think?”

Percy barked out a surprised laugh and had to cover her mouth to stop the giggles that wanted to start.“Oh wow, _yeah_ , we should definitely get back to check on them.”

Thor chuckled softly and nodded, extending a hand towards her to help her stand. Percy took it easily and soon the two had started back towards the Tower together with Parker at their side.

 

It was just on five o-clock when Percy arrived back up on their floor, Thor having told her he’d had to meet with Dr. Banner and couldn’t come along. So Percy arrived up on their floor with Parker at her side and the moment the elevator doors slid open, she was greeted by the incredible smell of something delicious. She blinked in surprise, inhaling the lovely mix of smells as she stepped out of the elevator.

She looked around and easily spotted Bucky, Tony and Steve in the kitchen; their lovely mess of colours all swirling wonderfully and she started towards them curiously. Parker barked happily when he caught sight of them and then the guys were all crowing their hello’s and turning to greet Percy as well. 

“Hey,” She greeted quietly, stepping into the kitchen and leaning her elbows on the centre island. “What’s that amazing smell? Have you guys been cooking?”

Steve grinned. “ _Maybe_ ,” He said cheekily.

She chuckled softly, tilting her head curiously as she observed his shifting colours. “Maybe?”

Bucky snickered from beside the stove as he pulled out a very large pizza stone from the oven and she looked towards him. “You wanted dinner doll, we made you dinner-“

“And dessert!” Tony chimed, grinning broadly from where he was picking up a pie to slip into the oven. 

Percy’s expression turned to absolute surprise then. “Y-you didn’t…” She whispered nervously.

Steve smiled as he stepped up beside her, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. “You won, remember?”

Percy’s cheeks heated as she looked to him, feeling rather embarrassed. “I-I didn’t really mean any of that. You didn’t _actually_ have to make me dinner _and_ dessert.”

Tony pouted then and Bucky smiled. “You won fair and square, doll. So we made you dinner, dessert and we’ve got an entire evening of _domestic bliss_ all lined up for you,” Bucky informed her.

Percy’s cheeks heated delightfully and Steve smiled as he slipped an arm around her waist. “I’ve been supervising all afternoon. Even had to clean up after these two.”

Percy couldn’t help smiling at that as she looked back towards Tony and Bucky, her cheeks still slightly flushed. “We had to make a mess to make pizza,” Tony told her, snickering after having put the pie into the oven and set the timer.

“With all of your favourite toppings,” Bucky added, smiling warmly across at her.

“T-that was really sweet of you guys,” She murmured, glancing back towards Steve. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help supervise or tidy up.”

Steve smiled, shaking his head. “Wasn’t so bad,” He tried to cover and Bucky snickered, drawing their attention.

“Pretty sure I still have flour down the back of my shirt,” Bucky admitted, grinning.

Tony cackled. “At least you didn’t wind up with some down your pants.”

Percy couldn’t help it, she burst out laughing, covering her mouth in an attempt to stifle her soft giggles. The three men chuckled along with her and soon they were all gathered around the kitchen island while Bucky cut the pizza and served it up. There was a caesar salad as well and they all ate happily together, Tony having opened a bottle of wine, conversation flowing freely and for a little while, she was able to forget that her entire world had been turned upside down.

It wasn’t until they’d pulled the pie out and set it to cool, Tony flicking on the pot of coffee and Bucky pulling out the Vanilla Cinnamon Bailey’s while Steve put away the dishes, that her mind started to wander, her gaze too. “What kind of pie did you bake?” She asked, her fingers idly caressing the stem of her wine glass as she swirled its contents.

“ _Blueberry-_ “ Both Bucky and Tony said in unison, and _why_ did they sound a touch urgent? She wondered.

“Blueberry,” She said skeptically, her eyes narrowing.

“Mhm,” Tony said, casting a nervous glance towards Bucky as he grabbed a few plates from the cupboard.

Bucky ignored him in favour of grabbing some forks and mugs for the coffee instead. “Yeah, we know you said you liked blueberries, so we thought we’d make something you’d like.”

“Uh huh…” She said suspiciously. “Just blueberry?” She asked, her gaze flickering between the pair.

“Just blueberry!” Tony agreed cheerily and Percy’s eyes widened.

“You sneaky little shits-“ She suddenly breathed. “You’re _lying!_ ”

Bucky and Tony stared at her in open-mouthed shock, Tony spluttering over a response while Bucky tried to pick his jaw up off the floor. “What do you mean!? We’re not lying!” Tony tried to insist and Percy just shook her head incredulously.

“You are _so_ lying,” She chuckled. “Your colours are turning a sickly green every time you say blueberry.”

Tony squawked, his hands coming up to cover his heart and Steve and Percy both laughed at his response, even Bucky couldn’t help snicker a bit. “Yours too, James,” She admonished with a cheeky grin.

He smiled sheepishly in response and she smirked at him. “So, want to try again? Are there just blueberries in there, or are there some pomegranates, too?”

Bucky grinned, looking towards Tony who was pouting fiercely, despite his obvious amusement. “Okay fine, there _may_ be a few pomegranates in there,” He reluctantly admitted.

Percy laughed wonderfully, shaking her head. “ _May_ be?”

“More like half and half,” Bucky muttered and Percy grinned.

“I thought so,” She teased and Steve couldn’t help chuckling softly before rising to help them bring over the coffee and pie.

“Well, I still want a piece,” Steve said easily, smiling adorably as he carried the pie over.

They simply laughed lightly in response and settled themselves back in their places, coffees, pie and Bailey’s settled between them all. “This was really sweet of you guys…making such a nice meal, dessert too…you really didn’t have to go through all the trouble,” She insisted, now cradling her mug of coffee and Bailey’s.

“It wasn’t any trouble at all Percy,” Bucky said easily, cutting and serving a couple of pieces of the pie to first Steve and then Tony.

“We enjoyed making this for you,” Tony agreed. “Besides, you won, fair and square. So you get dinner, dessert, decent company and we had planned on bathing Parker tonight, but I think we’ll wait until tomorrow morning so we can get him outside to dry off.”

Percy’s smile widened, her chin dipping down as she looked unseeing into her cup of coffee. “That’s sweet and I promise to be there to help.”

Bucky cleared his throat slightly and slid a plate with a small piece of pie towards her. She heard the scraping of the plate against the counter top and she looked towards where the sound had come from. She smiled gently at Bucky, watching as his colours shifted to a pale pink. He cleared his throat slightly. “W-would you like a piece of pie?”

Percy smiled quietly, propping her chin up on her elbow as she leaned against the counter. She gave him a coy smile and bit down on her lower lip as she regarded him. “I might like a piece, yeah,” She whispered.

Bucky’s breathing hitched, just a touch and she couldn’t help smiling a little wider. She averted her gaze and instead raised her mug to her lips to take a sip of her delicious coffee. They were more subdued in their conversation after that, though they watched her like hawks every time she toyed with her fork or fiddled with the edge of her plate.

Tony and Steve had already finished their pieces, Steve on his second helping and Bucky nibbling at his, his gaze too busy following the curve of Percy’s lips as she talked quietly with them; the way her tongue darted out to swipe along her bottom lip. He couldn’t help biting his own lip as she finally picked up her fork and took a piece of the pie, her careful fingers making sure to scooch the flaky pastry and warm fruit filling on the fork.

She took a bite, making a lovely _mmm_ noise as she tasted the warm gooey filling and she practically moaned as she finished the forkful, shaking her head in wonder at her boyfriends. “Oh _wow_ , that is amazing,” She practically groaned.

Bucky and Tony both chuckled, but Tony’s sounded strained and Bucky’s sounded far too breathy. She tried to smother her grin as she raised her thumb to her lips, knowing she had a bit of pie filling on it. She couldn’t help blushing as she looked towards first Bucky and then Tony as she licked her finger clean. She expected to hear either of them come back with something teasing with the way their colours suddenly changed and she was sure they would have, if Steve hadn’t beaten them to it.

“ _Percy_ ,” Steve nearly whined and she turned to look at him, attempting to give him an innocent look.

It was quickly spoiled when his large warm hand settled against her thigh and he leaned in to kiss the edge of her mouth…where there was apparently a bit of pie hiding in plain sight. She couldn’t help chuckling, but then he was licking lightly at the edge of her lips and she inhaled sharply, her eyelashes fluttering as he shifted his mouth just a touch and then he was kissing her properly.

She couldn’t help the soft moan from escaping her and then he was pulling her closer and by closer, well, into his lap where he proceeded to kiss her slowly. Her hands wound themselves into his soft hair and she trembled a little against him when she suddenly felt someone moving to take her seat, a hand resting comfortingly against her lower back.

She couldn’t be sure who it was just yet, but when Steve broke their kiss and instead rest his forehead against hers, she gasped softly when Bucky’s cool metal hand brushed back a few strands of her hair, having reached over Steve’s shoulder to do so. Tony’s hand on her lower back shifted then and she bit her lower lip as she sat back slightly.

She was feeling overwhelmed again with having them all pressing in on her and she couldn’t help the tremors wracking through her as Steve’s large, careful hands started massaging her hips as he held her. “Do us a favour, sweetheart?” Tony suddenly asked, his warm breath fanning across her ear.

She shivered and nodded, unable to voice herself. “I think we’d like it very much if you finished the rest of your pie and we’d love to be the ones to feed it to you,” Tony admitted, his voice having grown a little soft, but no less breathy.

She swallowed hard, her cheeks positively glowing as she bit her lower lip and then nodded, once. Bucky’s grin went entirely unnoticed by her, but that didn’t mean she didn’t notice the pleased swirling of peach, pink and purple colours flooding through not only him, but Steve and Tony as well. She bit her lower lip for only a moment before Steve was whispering, “Open wide, sweetheart,” and Tony was placing a morsel of the delicious pie against her lips, fork completely unnecessary, apparently.

She trembled, feeling the warm press of his fingers at her lips before she was parting them for him and accepting the piece of fruit filling, mostly. She made a little bit of a mess and nearly whimpered as Tony shifted, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her lips and just about _licking_ into her mouth with careful kitten-like swipes of his tongue. She shut her eyes against his beautiful light as she let herself get lost in them taking care of her.

They took turns thereafter, feeding her little morsels of pie until her piece was finished. They were quiet, only their soft sighs and quiet hums of acknowledgement filling the space as they tidied up the kitchen together. Bucky pulled Percy away from the kitchen sink when she tried to do the dishes and chuckling as he leaned in and whispered against her ear, “No dishes tonight, sweetheart. I have some poetry to read to you.”

Percy flushed, letting herself be led along by Bucky’s metal hand carefully wrapped around her wrist. “James, you don’t need to read me poetry,” She tried weakly.

Smirking, Bucky settled her down onto the couch, pulling the blanket she’d been given from Natasha and Clint down over her. She smiled, drawing the blanket around her as she made herself more comfortable. “I know I don’t have to, love, but I want to. I even looked up some of the writer’s you like and found a couple of poems I thought I’d read to you,” Bucky told her gently.

She blinked in surprise at him. “You did?”

“I did,” He agreed easily. “Do you want me to read Poe or one of Shakespeare’s sonnets to you? If you like, we can do both…”

Percy’s blush deepened. “P-Poe would be fine.”

Bucky’s smiled turned easy as he nodded, reaching for the tablet he’d set on the coffee table. “Alright, doll. Poe it is. Any requests?”

“ _The Raven_ is a must…and _Alone_ ,” She murmured. “Maybe you’ll let me recite that one to you. I have it memorized.”

Bucky smiled at her, moving to sit down next to her. “Whatever you want, Percy,” He whispered, allowing her to shift and cuddle up against his side.

She smiled nervously, nodding as she draped the blanket over his lap as well. He couldn’t help just looking to her for a moment, enjoying the smile on her pretty face. She looked so soft, so calm and maybe a little tipsy from the Bailey’s that he may or may not have added extra to her coffee. He just-he _really_ liked this look on her. So comfortable.

His smile softened even more as her head lolled towards his shoulder, his metal one, and he shifted, raising his arm and wrapping it around her shoulder, drawing her even closer to him. She let out a soft sigh, pressing in close and readjusting her blanket and he had to shake himself to actually do anything other than stare at her for the rest of the evening. He unlocked his tablet, glancing towards the kitchen where Steve and Tony were just wiping down the counters and putting away a few things and Steve caught his gaze, giving him a warm smile before turning and whispering something to Tony that made the genius chuckle lightly.

“Come join us whenever you’re finished,” Bucky called to them before he was patting the couch beside them in invitation, only to have Parker stir from his spot on the floor and hop up and take it for himself.

He smiled, ruffling the pup’s fur before he settled. He turned his attention back to the tablet in his lap and opened up the book he’d been flipping through earlier. A collection of Edgar Allan Poe’s works. “Alright, I think I’ll start with _The Haunted Palace_ ,” He murmured.

Percy smiled cuddling closer, humming in acknowledgement and Bucky settled in, taking a steady breath before he began to read, his calming voice slipping into a lower register so easily.

 

“In the greenest of our valleys 

By good angels tenanted, 

Once a fair and stately palace— 

Radiant palace—reared its head. 

In the monarch Thought’s dominion, 

It stood there! 

Never seraph spread a pinion 

Over fabric half so fair! 

 

Banners yellow, glorious, golden, 

On its roof did float and flow 

(This—all this—was in the olden 

Time long ago) 

And every gentle air that dallied, 

In that sweet day, 

Along the ramparts plumed and pallid, 

A wingèd odor went away. 

 

Wanderers in that happy valley, 

Through two luminous windows, saw 

Spirits moving musically 

To a lute’s well-tunèd law, 

Round about a throne where, sitting, 

Porphyrogene! 

In state his glory well befitting, 

The ruler of the realm was seen. 

 

And all with pearl and ruby glowing 

Was the fair palace door, 

Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing 

And sparkling evermore, 

A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty 

Was but to sing, 

In voices of surpassing beauty, 

The wit and wisdom of their king. 

 

But evil things, in robes of sorrow, 

Assailed the monarch’s high estate; 

(Ah, let us mourn!—for never morrow 

Shall dawn upon him, desolate!) 

And round about his home the glory 

That blushed and bloomed 

Is but a dim-remembered story 

Of the old time entombed. 

 

And travellers, now, within that valley, 

Through the red-litten windows see 

Vast forms that move fantastically 

To a discordant melody; 

While, like a ghastly rapid river, 

Through the pale door 

A hideous throng rush out forever, 

And laugh—but smile no more.”

 

“ _Beautiful,_ ” Percy breathed, her heart aching at the words, the way he’d read each and every one.

She loved the sound of his voice and having him recite something she clearly adored to her, _for_ her, it made her heart swell with adoration for him. She smiled, resting her hand against his jean clad thigh and he smiled over at her before pressing a kiss to her temple. “It is a beautiful poem,” He agreed. “I never really gave poetry much thought when I was younger, but I think all language is beautiful. All writing is beautiful in its own way.”

“It is,” She murmured. “English is a bit finicky, but I love it.”

Bucky nodded. “What about Russian…or Romanian?” He asked hesitantly.

Percy blinked. “I haven’t heard much Russian before and I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone speak Romanian,” She admitted, squeezing his thigh gently.

“Ah…that’s a shame,” He whispered, pressing another kiss to her temple.

“W-why?” She asked.

“Because I speak both…a few others too,” He admitted and Percy’s eyes widened, body shifting as she turned to place both hands on his thigh to better see him; well, his many colours.

She blinked big doe eyes up at him, looking so eager and curious and his heart melted at the sight. “W-would you read a poem in one of them for me?” She asked hopefully.

Bucky smiled, giving her a gentle nod. “Sure, doll. But I’d better look up the proper translations…don’t want to butcher it.”

She chuckled softly, shaking her head. “I wouldn’t know anyway.”

He smiled, shaking his head as she turned back and got settled again and he opened up the internet browser to look for a translation of the next poem in Russian. He settled on selecting _A Dream Within a Dream_ and taking a deep breath, began to speak in that same deep, soothing register.

 

“ _Take this kiss upon the brow!_

_And, in parting from you now,_

_Thus much let me avow —_

_You are not wrong, who deem_

_That my days have been a dream;_

_Yet if hope has flown away_

_In a night, or in a day,_

_In a vision, or in none,_

_Is it therefore the less gone?_

_All that we see or seem_

_Is but a dream within a dream._

 

_I stand amid the roar_

_Of a surf-tormented shore,_

_And I hold within my hand_

_Grains of the golden sand —_

_How few! yet how they creep_

_Through my fingers to the deep,_

_While I weep — while I weep!_

_O God! Can I not grasp_

_Them with a tighter clasp?_

_O God! can I not save_

_One from the pitiless wave?_

_Is all that we see or seem_

_But a dream within a dream?_ ”

 

When he’d finished, voice trailing off, he couldn’t help noticing that she was pressing up a little tighter against his side, her breathing having changed into something a touch deeper. “That was lovely,” She whispered, glancing towards where Tony and Steve had joined them on the opposite sofa, their warm glows soothing in nearly the same way his voice had been.

Bucky smiled, obviously pleased with himself and then Tony was rising from his seat and reaching for the tablet. Bucky handed it to him and the genius took his seat next to Steve once again. “Mind if I cut in?” Tony asked, already scrolling through a new internet search.

Percy smiled. “Not at all.”

Tony smirked, gaze now stuck on the tablet. “Good, then you won’t mind if I read to you in _Italiano?_ ”

Percy’s cheeks heated and she chuckled, shaking her head. “Go right ahead, Tony.”

Tony smirked, casting a quick glance to first Bucky and then Steve, who were both watching him with eager eyes. Apparently they liked this idea just as much as she did, so Tony settled in and began to recite _Fairy Land_ to his lovers in Italian.

Percy had always admired the sound of his voice. He spoke so well in the public eye, a real man of words, whenever he chose to use them. Usually his speech was riddled with curses, though he’d tried to shape up in that respect, but they still slipped in now and again. But when he set his mind to it, he really was an eloquent speaker, able to sway an audience easy as you please.

But the _sound_ of his voice, the _tones_ he used were what really drew her to him. She liked the soft rumble to his voice as it washed over her and she was not disappointed in the least when he started speaking Italian, his tone bordering on sultry as he delved into the poem. She couldn’t help the shaky inhale she gave as it reached her ears and she closed her eyes as she let it wash over her.

 

“ _Dim vales—and shadowy floods—_

_And cloudy-looking woods,_

_Whose forms we can’t discover_

_For the tears that drip all over:_

_Huge moons there wax and wane—_

_Again—again—again—_

_Every moment of the night—_

_Forever changing places—_

_And they put out the star-light_

_With the breath from their pale faces._

_About twelve by the moon-dial,_

_One more filmy than the rest_

_(A kind which, upon trial,_

_They have found to be the best)_

_Comes down—still down—and down_

_With its centre on the crown_

_Of a mountain’s eminence,_

_While its wide circumference_

_In easy drapery falls_

_Over hamlets, over halls,_

_Wherever they may be—_

_O’er the strange woods—o’er the sea—_

_Over spirits on the wing—_

_Over every drowsy thing—_

_And buries them up quite_

_In a labyrinth of light—_

_And then, how, deep! —O, deep,_

_Is the passion of their sleep._

_In the morning they arise,_

_And their moony covering_

_Is soaring in the skies,_

_With the tempests as they toss,_

_Like—almost any thing—_

_Or a yellow Albatross._

_They use that moon no more_

_For the same end as before,_

_Videlicet, a tent—_

_Which I think extravagant:_

_Its atomies, however,_

_Into a shower dissever,_

_Of which those butterflies_

_Of Earth, who seek the skies,_

_And so come down again_

_(Never-contented things!)_

_Have brought a specimen_

_Upon their quivering wings._ ”

 

When he’d finished, he chuckled softly, gaze flitting between the three of them. “Why do you two look like you want to eat me and Percy looks like she’s going to faint?”

Bucky grinned and Percy guffawed, quickly covering her face. “You have a nice voice,” She muttered into her hands and Tony grinned.

“Just nice?” He teased and her resulting groan made him grin all the wider.

“Okay _fine_ , you have a sexy voice,” She said, clearly in exasperated fondness and Bucky snickered at her side.

“It is pretty sexy,” Bucky agreed and Percy rolled her eyes.

“Yours is just as sexy, James. All deep and _rumbly_ ,” She sighed, shifting and kissing his chin.

He smirked, unable to help the pleasant warmth that spread through him at that. “Yeah?” He whispered, voice gone all soft and timid.

Percy smiled up at him sweetly as she nodded, but then he was shifting to lean back against the arm rest of the couch, Parker having moved to settle on the floor at their feet. “Yeah, Bucky,” She murmured, biting her lower lip as she let herself be pulled along with him, settling in between his slightly spread legs with her back against his chest.

His grasp on her tightened just a bit and she couldn’t help the little shiver that ran through her with the reaction to the use of his silly nickname. Steve cleared his throat slightly, having taken up the tablet for himself. “C-can I read to you as well?” He asked timidly.

Percy blinked, looking to him with a warm smile gracing her lips. “I’d love it if you did, Steve. Why don’t you pick a poem? It doesn’t even have to be by Poe.”

Steve smiled, tipping his head down as he looked at the tablet, already searching for something to read to her. “You wanted Bucky to read you _The Raven_ , but would it be alright if I read it to you instead?” He asked timidly.

Percy’s heart swelled and she nodded, hearing the tentativeness in his voice. “Of course you can, love. I’d love to hear you read it,” She murmured.

Steve nodded, clearing his throat slightly as he shifted in his seat, apparently having found what he was looking for and getting himself ready. But no one had expected, nor been prepared in the least, for Steve to suddenly begin to recite _The Raven_ in _French._

Percy very nearly groaned, closing her eyes and thunking her head back against Bucky’s chest when the first few words left his lips. But Steve was too immersed in the screen that he didn’t notice her reaction. He did hear Bucky and Tony’s collective inhales but forced himself to keep going, ignoring it for the moment.

Bucky’s flesh and blood hand slipped down to caress over her stomach, just soothing her as she relaxed, letting the sound of Steve’s smooth timber of a voice drift over her and settle into her very bones. He sounded so steady, his words flowing easily as if he’d spoken it all his life. He sounded confident and sure and _oh!_ _Why does French sound so eloquent!?_ She wondered.

 

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

    While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—

            Only this and nothing more.”

 

    Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

    Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow

    From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

            Nameless here for evermore.

 

    And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

    So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating

    “’Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—

            This it is and nothing more.”

 

    Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

    But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

    And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you”—here I opened wide the door;—

            Darkness there and nothing more.

 

    Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;

    But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

    And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore?”

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—

            Merely this and nothing more.

 

    Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.

    “Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;

      Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—

            ’Tis the wind and nothing more!”

 

    Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;

    Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

    But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—

            Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

 

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,

“Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven,

Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore—

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night’s Plutonian shore!”

            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

 

    Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore;

    For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

    Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door—

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,

            With such name as “Nevermore.”

 

    But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

    Nothing farther then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—

    Till I scarcely more than muttered “Other friends have flown before—

On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.”

            Then the bird said “Nevermore.”

 

    Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store

    Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

    Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore—

Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore

            Of ‘Never—nevermore’.”

 

    But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;

    Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking

    Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore—

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore

            Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”

 

    This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom’s core;

    This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

    On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o’er,

But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o’er,

            She shall press, ah, nevermore!

 

    Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.

    “Wretch,” I cried, “thy God hath lent thee—by these angels he hath sent thee

    Respite—respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore;

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”

            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

 

    “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!—

Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

    Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—

    On this home by Horror haunted—tell me truly, I implore—

Is there—is there balm in Gilead?—tell me—tell me, I implore!”

            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

 

    “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—

    Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

    It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore—

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”

            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

 

    “Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!” I shrieked, upstarting—

“Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore!

    Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!

    Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”

            Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”

 

    And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

    And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,

    And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

            Shall be lifted—nevermore!”

 

By the time he’d finished, his voice fading into nothing, Percy was biting her lower lip hard, eyes closed and body practically _floating_. “I didn’t know you spoke French,” Tony suddenly murmured, hand snaking its way along the blonde’s thigh.

Steve shrugged, handing him back the tablet. “Picked it up back in the War,” He murmured and Percy visibly flinched, looking towards him, watching his colours shift and blur from his gold and light pink to gold and a nearly sea-foam green.

She recognized it as sadness and she tried to sit up, but Bucky picked up on her distress and kept her still. “Back with all those pretty dames in that pub in France, Stevie?” Bucky teased. “They were chatting up a storm with you and the rest of the boys…”

Steve blushed furiously, glancing towards Percy and Bucky in turn. “Buck, not dames, we talked about this…but uh,” He cleared his throat and nodded hesitantly. “Yeah, they were trying to teach me and it was surprisingly easy to pick up on, especially after Dernier managed to find a dictionary for me,” He said fondly.

Bucky’s gaze softened and he nodded, his heart aching at the thought of the Commandos. He’d grieved after coming back…with Steve by his side. They’d both grieved together, but it still hurt, still brought their hearts to their throats, but they could let the nostalgia in and be okay, so long as they had each other, they would be okay.

Bucky’s hands had idly started tracing patterns against Percy’s sides and she was shivering and shifting against him, the sensation bordering on ticklish and he slowed his ministrations as she scooched back against him a little more firmly. “Sorry,” He murmured into her hair and she smiled nervously.

“It’s okay…just tickles, and Steve’s right, about the dames thing, I mean. Mind you, you can call me a dame whenever you like, just not a _floosy_ ,” She tried to tease.

Bucky chuckled, shaking his head as he nuzzled into her hair, inhaling her scent. _God_ , he loved the way she smelt. Like freshly fallen rain and clean linen. He inhaled deeply one more time, gaze flickering over to where Steve and Tony were watching them quietly. “Wouldn’t dream of it, doll,” He whispered against her hair.

She smiled, relaxing back against him, her eyes closing. “You speak French beautifully, Steve. In case you were wondering.”

Steve smiled shyly, bashful. “Thank you, Percy.”

She bit her lower lip gently before she sighed, turning her head to look over at the pair. “Think I could recite a poem for you now? You’ve all been so lovely, treating me to the sound of your beautiful voices and incredible languages. I’m afraid I only know a little French, but I think I speak English pretty well,” She chuckled.

Her lovers chuckled softly, smiling at her fondly. “We love the sound of your voice, Percy and we’d love it if you read a poem to us,” Tony confessed.

She hummed, nodding a little before she sat up a bit more, drawing her knees up so that she could wrap her arms around them. She blinked, slowly exhaling before she closed her eyes, letting her mind clear and just focus on the memory of one of her favourite poems.

When she began to speak, falling into the easy cadence of the poem, getting lost in the words, the sound of them falling from her lips effortlessly; her lovers were positively enraptured by her eloquence and she wished, she so _wished_ that they could understand.

 

“From childhood’s hour I have not been 

As others were—I have not seen 

As others saw—I could not bring 

My passions from a common spring— 

From the same source I have not taken 

My sorrow—I could not awaken 

My heart to joy at the same tone— 

And all I lov’d—I lov’d alone— 

Then—in my childhood—in the dawn 

Of a most stormy life—was drawn 

From ev’ry depth of good and ill 

The mystery which binds me still— 

From the torrent, or the fountain— 

From the red cliff of the mountain— 

From the sun that ’round me roll’d 

In its autumn tint of gold— 

From the lightning in the sky 

As it pass’d me flying by— 

From the thunder, and the storm— 

And the cloud that took the form 

(When the rest of Heaven was blue) 

Of a demon in my view—“

 

When she finished, she’d barely managed a breath, the silence holding for only a moment before Bucky was breathing out shakily, his entire body curling over her back, arms winding around her and clutching her to him desperately. “ _Percy-_ “ He breathed against her hair.

She shifted, blinking as she tried to turn in his arms, wondering what was the matter. She’d not heard him sound like that since she’d found out about who he really was. She swallowed, hard and he let her turn in his arms, only to bury his face against the crook of her neck where her shoulder met and breathed in her comforting scent deeply.

“Hey,” She whispered in an attempt to soothe him, slipping her arms around his neck and pressing in closer.

He inhaled even more shakily than before and pulled her flush against him as she kissed his temple and high up on his cheek. “Y-you know you’re not alone, right? You know we’ll always be here for you, with you. Right, Percy?” Bucky asked, nuzzling against her.

She smiled, relaxing against him as her hands wandered up to caress his hair. She slowly managed to pull back enough to give them both some breathing room and he blinked quietly at her as he studied her face, watching the way her eyes darted back and forth as she took in whatever colours his aura had taken on. She shook her head, staring at him in disbelief.

“Of course I know that, Bucky. Of course I do,” She whispered, leaning in and pressing her lips against his, eyes drifting shut at the first press of his lips against hers.

He gave her no opportunity to lead the kiss, merely took over, desperate and deep and she gave herself over to him. He nipped at her bottom lip harshly before slipping his tongue past her parted lips on heated gasp.

She whimpered softly into his mouth and he explored her further, pulling her against him so that their fronts were flush against each other. And it was about at this time that they both seemed to realize the extent of which their bodies were pressed tightly against one another.

She could feel the hard lines of muscle beneath her, against her, his strong arms enveloping her and she couldn’t help the-much louder than she intended-moan from escaping her at the realization. Bucky’s matching groan was loud in her ears and she trembled harder against him as his hands started to wander down her sides, teasing in their wake.

Bucky’s hips shifted then and she cut back an embarrassingly soft whimper as he then clutched her tighter, feeling the warmth of her breasts pressing against his chest and he really wanted to feel more but this was _highly_ inappropriate his brain shouted at him. Not for, you know, the obvious reasons, ie. the fact that Tony and Steve were watching from only a few feet away, _no_ , quite the contrary. Bucky was sure she’d be all for letting the pair of them watch and he was pretty sure they wouldn’t mind… _much_.

So he broke the kiss and, blushing lightly, cleared his throat, his hands leaving her sides to gently caress and cup her rosy cheeks. “Why’d you stop?” She asked breathlessly, her own hands coming up to grasp both of his wrists, feeling the solidness of the unforgiving metal beneath her fingertips and the steadily beating pulse of his flesh and blood beneath the other. 

“We should have dinner-“ He blurted, not really all with it, apparently.

She blinked at him, her expression morphing into one of confusion. “But we just ate…” She trailed off uncertainly.

Bucky blinked, his gaze softening and a chuckle escaping him. “No, no, sorry, I just…I feel like we owe it to you to at least take you out to dinner before we-“ He cleared his throat. “You _know_ …” He finished lamely.

He half expected Tony to laugh at that, but he knew he’d at least have Steve on his side with this, but it surprised the hell out of him when Percy suddenly burst into a fit of adorable giggles. He blinked in surprise, his cheeks heating at her reaction. She was laughing so hard now, her cheeks completely flushed as she shifted back on her knees, bracing her hands against the brunette’s chest as her laughter seemed to overwhelm her.

He grinned lopsidedly at her, a wave of fondness catching him off guard just a touch. “I think-“ Tony suddenly chuckled. “What Bucky bear is trying to say, love, is that we’d very much like to take you out todinner before there’s any real hanky-panky-“

“ _Tony-_ “ Steve quickly admonished, trying to stifle his amused smile behind his hand as he shifted in his seat next to his lover.

Tony grinned cheekily and glanced from Steve back to Percy who’s laughter had died down considerably as she looked towards them. “That, uh-that was pretty much the gist of it, yeah,” Bucky agreed, smiling dopily over at Tony.

Percy smiled, shaking her head as she let out a very put upon sigh, turning her attention back to Bucky. “Well, I suppose I could go along with that…I mean, how often does a real gentleman admit to wanting to take a gal’ out to dinner before they tumble into bed together?” She asked with a devious little smile and wink that had him feeling all kinds of flustered.

“H-how about tomorrow night?” Bucky breathed.

Percy smirked, biting down on her lower lip teasingly. “I’d love to go to dinner with my loves,” She murmured, her hands skimming down over Bucky’s chest.

“ _Great,_ ” Bucky barely managed to choke and Percy’s smile only widened.

“Dinner and dancing it is,” Tony chirped and Percy’s gaze darted towards him.

“ _Dancing?_ ” She inquired.

“ _Dancing_ ,” Tony repeated, waggling his eyebrows suggestively at her.

She didn’t see it, obviously, but definitely heard his cheekiness all the same. Steve’s huffing breath drew their attention, however, and she rolled her eyes at him. “You can slow dance with me, Rogers. You’re not getting out of it,” Percy told him.

Steve huffed again and she smirked over at him. “Wasn’t trying to get out of anything,” He muttered in his very obviously failed defence.

She rolled her eyes all the same, smiling affectionately over at him before winking at Tony and then turning her attention back to Bucky. “So, how about we watch a movie then and you safely keep to your side of the couch? I wouldn’t want to offend your _1940’s sensibilities_ ,” She teased.

Bucky guffawed and both Tony and Steve cackled gleefully at her response, leaving Bucky to flounderfor a moment before he muttered, “ _That’s it-_ “ and gently tackled her to the couch and proceeded to tickle her mercilessly, her gloriously child-like laughter filling his ears while Tony and Steve laughed and watched the pair.

And so they spent the remainder of the evening watching a movie, all three having curled up together on the larger couch, Percy having very nearly draped herself across their laps as she’d settled in. It wasn’t until nearly midnight that they’d decided to call it a night and seeing as Percy had fallen asleep sometime well before then, Steve had had the great pleasure of carrying her off to her own bed with Parker padding along behind them.

She’d not even stirred and merely let herself be tucked into bed, Parker hopping up beside her and curling up on the blankets. Steve smiled down at her as he pushed some of her hair away from her face before he bent to press a kiss to her forehead. She sighed dreamily and simply watched her for a moment longer before forcing himself to move. He wasn’t at all surprised to find Tony and Bucky hovering in the doorway watching the two of them, fondness and so, _so_ much love reflected in their eyes.

He all but dragged the pair from her doorway as he shut the door behind him, leaving their girlfriend to sleep in peace. They could all curl up in bed tomorrow night…he hoped. Oh _hell_ , who was he kidding? He knew they’d be lucky to even make it to a bed if he’d read Percy’s teasing right. She was just as impatient to get at them as they were to get at her. Hopefully they wouldn’t embarrass themselves at dinner, but really, he was just hoping he wasn’t going to embarrass himself on the dance floor first.


	16. Just a Note!

Hey guys! This is just a note! The next chapter will be the final and there will be a little surprise epilogue dealy I tack on at the end of it. So yay! We're almost there and I am so terribly sorry for the long wait, but I hope it will be worth it.

I am currently 80% done writing the long awaited smut scene and then I'll tack on a bit of an unusual ending/epilogue and we'll be good to go! I would ideally like to finish writing it all this evening and have it edited and posted sometime tonight. I'm going to really fuckin' try because this story is killing me. I just want to finish it and make it perfect for you guys. <3 I'm so close! But I tend to get carried away in my smut scenes. xD 

So hang tight! I'm typing as fast as I can! <3


	17. Chapter 17

“ _Natasha-_ “ Percy breathed, in a near panic as she sprang up from the couch in the red-head’s suite.

“Percy, Jarvis said it was an emergency, what’s going on?” She asked worriedly, striding from the doors of the elevator towards her.

Percy wrung her hands nervously for a moment, gaze flickering between Natasha’s lovely mix of colours and what she assumed was the floor. “I need advice.”

“Okay…” Natasha said calmly, coming around to sit down on the sofa and making Percy sit down again as well. “What kind of advice?”  
Percy blew out a very strained breath. “Dating advice,” She sighed. “I also may need help finding a dress,” She admitted.

Natasha’s curious expression quickly morphed into one of understanding as she let out a relieved chuckle. “Is that all? Come on, _let’s go_ ,” She instructed, rising to her feet and taking hold of Percy’s hand in the process.

“What do you mean, _is that all?_ This is a serious situation, Natasha! I have a _date_ with the guys, _tonight_ and I have nothing to wear!” She blurted.

Natasha chuckled lightly, shaking her head. “Hence why we’re going to my room, to find you something to wear.”

Percy quickly clasped both hands around Natasha’s, holding on tight. “Oh dear Lord, _thank you_.”

Natasha laughed, shaking her head at the woman before she was dragging her along towards her bedroom. “You’ve got those shoes Pepper bought you, right? And you wouldn’t happen to own a little black dress would you?”

Percy blinked, her cheeks heating. “Like, a _little_ little black dress?”

Natasha grinned. “I’m going to take that as a no. This is going to be fun.”

Percy huffed shaking her head, but did nothing to stop, let alone deter the red-head from her train of thought. This _was_ going to be fun.

 

“It’s 6 o-clock,” Tony hissed from his spot in the doorway, attempting to usher Steve and Bucky out of the bedroom before they somehow convinced each other that this was a bad idea. “She’s going to be coming by any minute and you two need to get your head in the game _faster_.”

Bucky muttered under his breath in annoyance, but let himself be pushed all the same, casting a quick look over his shoulder at Steve who looked just as nervous as he currently felt. “Sorry, Tony. You know Buck and I are nervous enough as it is, we just wanted to make sure we looked our best,” Steve tried to reason as they made their way out into the living room.

“I know, really, I do,” Tony consoled, rubbing the blonde’s back gently, smoothing out his navy suit jacket in the process. “Trust me, I’m nervous too, but it’s _Percy_. This is going to go just fine and we’re all going to have a great time tonight and enjoy each other’s company. There’s nothing to worry about, alright?”

Steve nodded, linking a hand with his lover’s before raising his knuckles to his lips for a gentle kiss. Tony’s gaze softened and Bucky smiled at the pair as he turned to look at his lovers. “Okay, Tony,” Steve whispered and the genius smiled, leaning in and pressing a reassuring kiss to his cheek.

“That’s the spirit,” Tony praised, tugging him over towards Bucky to give the brunette a quick peck on the cheek.

Bucky stayed quiet, though he did huff lightly as he planted a peck of his own on Tony’s jawline, nuzzling into his neck for only a moment before pulling away. “You both do look handsome,” Tony admitted, sweeping his gaze over both of his lovers. “She might not be able to see your nice suits, but she’ll be able to feel them all the same and I know you’ll both feel better knowing that you do look your best,” He agreed.

Bucky smiled shyly, nudging the genius with his shoulder lightly. “Thank you, Tony…and you know you look handsome too, baby.”

Tony smirked lightly, brushing his hands gently over the lapels of his own dark grey suit. “Thanks, Bucky bear.”

Bucky smiled, trying to will the silly blush from his cheeks as he averted his gaze and instead settled upon Steve in his lovely dark blue suit. Steve was smiling shyly at him and Bucky let his head dip to look down at himself and take a moment to admire the cut of his own black suit. He fiddled with the button on his blazer for a beat and Steve rolled his eyes as he stepped in close to the brunette and did it up for him, trying to meet his lover’s gaze.

“Hey, Tony’s right, Buck. This is going to go just fine and we’re going to have a good time. No more worrying, okay?” Steve murmured, nuzzling his lover’s nose with his own.

“Yeah,” Bucky breathed, his throat clicking for a moment as he tried to believe what they were telling him. “It’s gonna’ be fine,” He agreed.

And really, it was. He knew that, didn’t exactly stop him from being nervous, however. And so when the elevator dinged and out stepped Percy looking far too beautiful for her own good, they couldn’t help their collective heavy exhales.

“ _Oh wow_ ,” Steve breathed, his cheeks heating as he realized he’d voiced something other than a hello.

“I think he means to say ‘hello,’ Percy and you look-“ Tony started.

“ _Stunning_ ,” Bucky said on a heavy exhale.

Percy’s cheeks flushed, the blush spreading down her throat as she ducked her head slightly, looking away from their heavy gazes. “T-thank you, that’s…that’s really sweet of you to say,” She whispered nervously, biting her lower lip as she rubbed her bared elbow.

She was wearing a gorgeous black cocktail dress that ended at her knee in a slight a-line fashion, similar to a ballerina’s skirt, though not quite so drastic. The bodice had a sparkly silver overlay that instantly drew their gazes and sparkled wonderfully no matter which way she turned as it caught the light. It was a sweetheart neckline, though the black nearly see-through shawl she had draped over her shoulders did cover up most of her bared skin, at least above the waist.

Below, however? She had legs for _miles,_ no stockings from what they could tell and her soft, tanned skin looked gorgeous against the black of her dress and…her _heels_. Those beautiful Laboutin’s Pepper had oh so kindly gifted her. She looked incredibly well put-together in them and _oh_ , their minds were already wandering. This was going to be a very trying evening.

Steve took a nervous step towards her then, seeing her start to shy away from them. He watched as her gaze flickered towards him, no doubt taking in his multitude of colours and he smiled reassuringly as he raised her chin up with a light touch to her jaw. She inhaled deeply at the gesture, remembering the first time he’d done that on the night of the charity gala. The possessive almost dominant way he did it then and even now, sent a shiver down her spine and she found her lips parting in hopes of receiving a kiss.

It didn’t come. Not just yet.

“You look gorgeous, Percy. I’m so glad you wore the heels…and that dress is beautiful on you,” He murmured, gazing down at her lovingly as his fingers slowly slipped from her chin to caress featherlight over the stone on her necklace.

Her heart leapt as she took yet another shaky breath, blinking quickly as she stared up at his lovely colours, feeling so protected, so desired, so _wanted._ She smiled shyly up at him and he let his hand slip from where his fingertips had been toying with the stone of her necklace.

“Thank you, Steve. I-I’m glad you think so,” She whispered shakily, listening as he huffed softly before leaning in and pressing his lips against hers in a very chaste kiss.

She’d barely had a moment to register the press of lips before he was pulling away. “You do look beautiful,” Tony agreed, having come up beside her, his warm reassuring hand settling against her lower back.

She looked to him, her cheeks heating. “I love what you’ve done with your hair,” He confessed, his other hand coming up and pressing lightly against her bicep. 

And then it was smoothing up along her arm, over her shawl to cup the side of her neck for only a second before his fingers were slipping back into her hair, shifting her long loosely curled locks out of the way…

So that his fingertips could slip beneath the strand of pearls draped about her neck.

She inhaled sharply as he gave them a gentle tug and she quickly leaned in towards him, her hands moving to brace herself against his chest, not wanting him to tug too hard and break the necklace. She knew he wouldn’t actually break it; wasn’t possible with how careful he was being, but she had the strongest urge to be closer to him and she wasn’t about to deny either of them such a thing.

He chuckled lowly as she pressed in closer and he leaned in to hover his lips above hers. “T-Thank you, Tony,” She whispered, tipping her lips up towards his to steal his own in a soft kiss.

Tony hummed against her, kissing her back just as sweetly before he was drawing back and letting his hands trail gently down her arms as he helped readjust her shawl to cover her shoulders a bit better. “The pearls look lovely on you, Percy. Especially with that dress…all the sparkles make the stone really stand out,” Bucky murmured quietly, having stayed slightly aside, not wanting to intrude on their hello’s.

Percy’s shy smile could have lit up a room then as her gaze flickered towards him, unable to stop herself from ducking her head at the compliment. “Thank you, James,” She murmured, her hand reaching up to gently caress over the strand of pearls around her neck before toying lightly with the stone.

“We should get going,” Steve urged, his large warm hand settling lightly against her lower back.

She blinked, looking up at him as she nodded. “Don’t want to be late.”

Tony chuckled softly from beside her before he was leading the way towards the elevators. “Technically, we can’t be late. I mean, I booked the whole place so we can pretty well show up whenever we want and they’ll still be thrilled to have us.”

Percy blushed, shaking her head. “Not one to do things by halves, are you, Mr. Stark?” She teased, raising a brow in his direction.

Tony grinned, winking as he shrugged. “Oh, you know me too well, _Persephone_.”

Percy’s groan of distaste echoed as they stepped into the elevator and Steve and Bucky couldn’t help chuckling. “You brought that on yourself, doll,” Bucky informed her, nudging her elbow lightly with his own.

She chuckled, shaking her head. “I suppose I did, didn’t I?” She agreed, turning to press her back up against the cool metal of the elevator’s interior. 

“Mhm,” Bucky chuckled, stepping aside to let Steve in before the doors shut. 

“Well, I wonder what else I can bring upon myself this evening… _Bucky_ ,” She whispered, drawing her lower lip between her teeth as she observed him from beneath her lashes.

Bucky’s very measured inhale made her insides twist, her heart speeding up without her consent. “ _Oh_ , are we playing dirty already, _baby doll?_ ” He teased, stepping into her space as he leaned in real close to hover his lips above hers.

She shivered at his sudden closeness, tilting her chin up confidently as she took in the sight of his face. His colours shaped him, all shades of blue and golds and that perfectly untouched sky blue of his heart that seemed to spread into every aspect of his being. She smiled fondly at him, getting lost in his colours for just a moment too long.

He seemed to sense a shift in her emotions and he smiled before gently nuzzling his nose against hers, kissing her lips tenderly. Her eyelids fluttered at the first press of his warm lips against hers and she inhaled slowly as she returned it.

It was just a soft, reassuring press of lips before they parted and Bucky tucked some of her long curls back behind her ear. “You can play dirty all you want, Percy. But you should probably know-“

“That we play twice as dirty,” Tony finished for him, smirking adoringly at the pair; his heart colours shifting and burning just that much more intensely blue.

Where Bucky was all darker shades of blue, Tony’s were much softer, almost baby blue in comparison and they both shared that glorious gold filtering throughout. Percy smiled, shaking her head. “I’m sure I can manage.”

Steve chuckled from the other side of the elevator, shaking his head fondly. “I hope you know what you’re getting into.”

Percy smirked, biting hard at her lower lip as her gaze flickered between Bucky and Tony and then settled upon Steve, his beautiful golds and deep oranges shifting and swirling in such a beautiful display. She shook her head, lower lip slipping from her teeth as she smiled so lovingly upon him. “Haven’t the faintest…”

His gaze softened, his heart colours brightening just that much more, but before he could say something to reassure her, Tony was piping up. “Well, we won’t disappoint,” He reassured.

Percy smiled, chuckling lightly. “You could never disappoint me.”

And it was the way she said it, sounding so confident and sure of herself and of them, and secretly, Bucky thought she’d be eating those words at some point. They were bound to fuck things up sometime down the road and he’d apologize profusely for ever making her feel that way, but it was just one of those things, he supposed. What he hadn’t anticipated, was it happening so soon. 

They’d barely gotten to the restaurant, a lovely rooftop venue that Tony had arranged, before they’d started embarrassing themselves with their ridiculous behaviour. The drive over, thanks to Happy’s presence with the partition remaining down, had been pretty tame and they’d kept up light conversation, Percy admittedly curious as to where they were taking her for the evening and trying to wheedle some information out of them. 

They’d kept it a surprise though and it wasn’t until they were seated at an intimate rooftop table outside with patio lanterns and soft jazz music surrounding them that they really allowed themselves to relax enough with her. It was easy, talking with her, being with her, just enjoying their time together. But of course that all went to hell the minute Tony decided he wanted to feed her dessert. _Well_ , that may have been a _slight_ exaggeration.

“I take it back!” She laughed, attempting to avoid Tony’s wandering hand as he wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her closer as he offered her a puff pastry with icing sugar and melted chocolate atop it.

“Take what back?” Tony laughed, grinning stupidly at her as he tried to make little airplane noises in an attempt to coerce her into eating the delectable treat.

She chuckled, shaking her head as she finally gave in and took a bite of the pastry, blushing lightly as she wiped her mouth on a napkin. “I’m disappointed in you, _Mr. Stark_ ,” She said teasingly and Tony stopped, his expression falling for a split second as he licked his fingers clean of the icing sugar.

He was about to ask what he had done, when she let out a very dramatic put-upon sigh. “You set up this wonderful evening with me with the promise of good company, dinner and pleasant conversation and even _dancing_ and all you seem to want to do is feed me more and more dessert!” She laughed.

“I thought you’d pull out all the stops and at least keep your promise of _dancing_ ,” She tried to tease, pouting adorably at him as she raised her glass to her lips to take a long and luxurious sip of her red wine.

Tony would have spluttered indignantly had she not been correct. That was probably about the sixth puff pastry he’d tried to get her to eat and she’d basically had at least a nibble of each one, letting him finish what she couldn’t. So he chuckled instead, smirking at her before he pushed his chair back and stood.

She toyed with her glass of wine, swirling its contents carefully as she watched his multitude of colours shift and swirl, his heart colours growing just that much more bright. His hand extended towards her and she could do nothing but smile as she glanced towards Steve and Bucky who were watching them with amused smiles on their handsome faces and then back to Tony’s outstretched hand.

“Dance with me?” He asked her.

Percy’s smile softened as she looked up at him. “What do you think, boys, should I dance with him?”

Tony bit his lower lip, gaze flickering towards his lovers and then back to Percy who was studying him intently. “Oh, I don’t know,” Steve chided, amusement in his voice. “Has he delivered on everything else tonight?”

Percy smiled, her gaze never leaving the genius as he continued to look to her. “He has and so have the two of you. There’s been good company, pleasant conversation, wonderful food…”

Bucky bit his lower lip gently as he let his gaze flicker over Tony’s frame. He was clearly nervous, despite the way he was attempting to exude confidence in his every movement. Wearing a mask, as per usual, but the bead of sweat he could see rolling down the back of his lover’s neck told him all he needed to know. He wondered if Percy could tell but apparently he didn’t have to wonder for very long.

Percy’s eyes flickered over him and she carefully settled her glass of wine down on the table before she slipped her hand in his. The light pink aura he’d been exuding since he’d stood shifted and bled away into a beautiful peach colour and she chuckled softly under her breath.

“No reason to be so nervous, Mr. Stark,” She murmured, rising to her feet as she let him lead her towards the open space where she supposed they would be dancing. “I doubt anyone could ever say no to you, not with your kind of charm.”

Tony inhaled slowly, his cheeks heating as his lips quirked in a little half smile. “Oh, they could.”

“And they’d be stupid to do so,” She said easily, pressing in close as he drew her against him, his hand resting against her lower back, the other caught up in hers.

She rest her free hand against his bicep and pressed even closer, her breathing deepening as she let herself be led. The music was still soft, low, enough not to disturb their conversation, but Tony apparently wanted something different to dance to and he cleared his throat before calling out to their lone server to put on something more exciting. He didn’t tell her he’d had the music selection for tonight planned ahead, why bother with the specifics, anyway?

“Do you know how to tango?” He murmured suddenly, breath warm against her ear. 

She resisted the urge to tremble, her gaze flashing up towards his face, a blush stealing over her features as she took a shaky breath. “I…might know how to tango,” She admitted quietly. “Though…it’s been a while…and these are new shoes…” She trailed off.

Tony bit his lower lip as he nuzzled against her cheek. “So, _no?_ ” He whispered.

She drew back from him ever so slightly, hands leaving him when the first few notes of Sway by Dean Martin began to play. “Did I say no?” She breathed, arching a delicate brow in a clear challenge.

Tony exhaled slowly, shaking his head as he observed her, her entire demeanour changing in an instant. There was the confidence he knew she possessed, the same confidence he was reminded of that very first time she’d walked away from him in the coffee shop that fateful morning. “It takes two,” He murmured and she flashed him a wickedly teasing smile.

And then they were dancing and Steve and Bucky were sure this was positively the most passionate display they’d ever seen.

Their dance was slow and _so_ sensual, their bodies moving together gracefully across the rooftop patio. Percy held her own, hands ghosting carefully and very intimately over Tony’s body, hidden beneath his dress shirt, having ditched his blazer early on in the evening. Her footwork was flawless, if a little more reserved than they’d seen her at the gala, but no less sexy.

Every time she stretched one of her long gorgeous legs between Tony’s or draped one over his hip and let herself be pulled just that much closer to the genius, both Bucky and Steve found their jaws clicking shut upon realizing that they’d been positively _gaping_ at the display.

Tony’s hands attempted to rove across her frame and she let him, for a time, but then she turned the dance far more teasing, wanting to play hard to get. And Tony fucking _loved_ it.

“Is this what you had in mind-?” She gasped, interrupted when Tony’s hand slipped up her thigh, disappearing beneath her dress.

“What’s that, sweetheart?” Tony breathed, nipping at her ear and noticing for the first time that she had pierced ears and yet wore no earrings; _well_ , Christmas would be upon them soon enough…or tomorrow, you know, whichever came first.

He was Tony Stark, after all.

She trembled in his grasp before sliding away from him, her hand caught in his as she spun slightly away. He smirked as his hand slipped from beneath her dress as she pulled away from him, but then he was drawing her in, wrapping her arm around herself as he pressed up against her back; both of his hands now running down her sides in a very obvious tease.

She bent forwards, biting her lower lip hard as she felt his hands skim lower, trailing up her outer thighs and just as he was about to let them wander higher up beneath her dress once more, she turned around and pressed the palm of her hand flat against his chest and _pushed_ ; forcing him to take a couple of steps backwards.

“I was trying to say…is this what you had in mind? Dancing one of the most sensual dances with me and getting me all worked up in hopes that I’ll fall into bed with you?” She asked, a hint of teasing lacing her voice.

Tony smirked delightedly. “I’m getting you all worked up?” He asked, sounding way too gleeful.

She huffed, shaking her head as the music changed, shifting into something more swing-like. “What do you think?”

Tony’s smirk softened, turning a tad sly as he pressed in closer, ignoring her hand pressing gently against his chest; now directly over the Arc Reactor. He vaguely wondered if she could feel it. “I think-“ He started, his hands coming up to settle against her sides, drawing her in close to sway with him in time to the music. “That you’re the one getting _me_ all worked up…and if I’m being honest, the guys too… _but_ -“ He went on, looking over her shoulder briefly at Bucky and Steve before focusing back on her. “I’m also pretty sure that that hope you talked about goes both ways.”

Percy swallowed, her cheeks heating beautifully as she tried to push down the wave of butterflies attempting to rise up in her stomach. “ _Well_ , you’re not wrong,” She admitted, leaning in, both of her hands now pressed gently against his chest.

Tony’s lips pressed against hers softly then, his smile light and only a touch teasing and it wasn’t long before he was stealing her breath away in a much more insistent kiss. One filled with promise and an intent behind it that had the tiniest of moans escaping her.

She forced herself to break the kiss, her hands clutching weakly at his dress shirt. She rest her forehead against his and he chuckled lowly, his hands beginning to wander up her sides, one flitting up to caress the side of her neck. “Do you-“ She started, but was interrupted by the genius’ hurried whisper.

“Want to get out of here?” He finished for her and before he’d even finished asking, she was already nodding and dragging him back towards the table.

Bucky and Steve stood up quickly, obviously having heard Tony’s question and she bit her lower lip as she looked to them, Tony’s hand now clasped tightly in one of hers. “ _God,_ you two looked incredible dancing together,” Steve breathed, stepping in close and surprising Percy when he stole her lips in a heated kiss.

The most delightful whimper escaped her and her free hand reached up to grasp the back of his neck, holding him tightly as she returned the kiss as best she could. He groaned against her lips, pressing in closer, towering over her as he deepened the kiss, one of his hands tangling in her longer locks and his other grasping the bared skin of her bicep.

When he felt he had thoroughly devoured her lips, he ended it, drawing back only a little, his hand slipping from her hair to tip her chin up towards him. “You’re so beautiful, Percy,” He whispered, his lips barely grazing against hers as she panted slightly in the space between them. “I wish I could dance with you like that.”

“I could teach you,” She breathed, lips brushing against his as she tried to kiss him again.

But he didn’t let her. 

He huffed lightly, his hand leaving her chin to card loosely through her lovely curls. “I’ve got two left feet, ask these two. I’ll just have to be content to watch you dance with them.”

Percy swallowed hard. “Is that all you want to do? _Watch?_ ”

Steve took a deep breath, his grasp on her tightening just so, his gaze flickering down her frame; watching the rise and fall of her breasts beneath the sparkled bodice of her dress. He shook his head. “I’d like to do more than that,” He breathed lowly, voice full of promise.

She watched as his colours darkened, his orange tones almost completely swallowed by the deepest, darkest shades of purple she thought she’d ever remembered seeing. “ _Steve-_ “ She whispered, her voice a near whimper as she pressed in tighter against him, letting his warmth and his beautiful shifting colours swallow her whole.

Tony’s hand slipped from hers and she quickly grasped the front of the blonde’s open suit blazer. “Ready to get out of here, doll?” Bucky suddenly asked from over Steve’s shoulder, having watched the entire exchange with a heat in his eyes that Tony knew meant they’d be lucky if they made it back to the Tower without incident.

“Y-yeah,” She said, slowly releasing Steve’s jacket and taking a step away from him.

She wasn’t prepared for how wobbly her legs suddenly felt, however, and she nearly stumbled back into Tony who wrapped his arms around her middle, burying his face in her hair and neck, inhaling deeply. “They look like they want to devour you,” He breathed lowly against her heated skin.

She trembled in his grasp, her own hands moving to rest over his as they caressed her stomach. “I-is it bad if I _want_ to be devoured?” She whispered, turning in his grasp to survey him, noting that much of his lighter blues had too changed to a darker purple. “Or to devour all of you?”

Tony inhaled shakily. “Not bad at all,” He admitted, voice clearly strained.

She would have laughed if she wasn’t feeling just as affected as they apparently were and soon Bucky was draping her shawl over her shoulders and they were slipping into the elevator to take them down to their car where Happy was waiting to drive them home.

Happy greeted them at the car with a warm smile and exchanged quiet words with Tony who waved him off, huffing lightly as he motioned for Percy to step inside. She smiled apologetically towards Happy and murmured her thanks to him as Tony’s long time friend walked around to the driver’s side and slipped into his seat. She had a moment where she looked towards the front seat, but then Happy’s soft colours were being blotted out by what she assumed was the partition.

Her cheeks pinked as she shifted to take her seat, her gaze falling to Steve who was slipping into the limo beside her, Tony and Bucky taking up their seats facing them. She swallowed hard, gaze flickering between the three men and she forced herself to take a deep breath as they all got comfortable.

She didn’t realize she had been biting her lower lip so hard until Steve shifted, his thumb resting on her bottom lip and drawing it down ever so gently, making her lips part. She blinked big dark doe eyes up at him and he smiled.

“You have the most gorgeous lips,” He whispered. “And they taste so sweet…” He breathed, leaning in and replacing his thumb with a lick against her pouty bottom lip.

She gasped, the blush upon her cheeks only deepening at that. Her eyelashes fluttered and she couldn’t help trying to press her lips against his in a proper kiss, but he drew back, his thumb having slipped to rest against her chin. “Ah, _ah_ ,” He whispered.

“ _Steve-_ “ She whimpered and the soft groan that left him at the lovely way she said his name was enough to have her shifting sideways and resting both of her hands against his thigh to steady herself.

He bit down lightly on his lower lip as she did so, his legs spreading of their own accord as her nails dug into the meat of his thigh. “I really do think you have the most gorgeous lips…and I really would love to see them wrapped around my cock.”

The noise that left her at that went straight to said cock and the heavy exhales from both Bucky and Tony were loud in the quiet of the car. “ _Oh my_ ** _God_** _,_ ” She gasped and before he had time to register what was happening, she was straddling his lap and swallowing his surprised moan as she kissed him hungrily.

When they broke for air a minute or so later, she choked back a desperate moan as she nodded, resting her forehead against his. “I-I can definitely do that and I _want_ that, _so bad_ , right _now,_ ” She gasped, slipping from his lap to kneel against the floor of the car.

Tony and Steve’s sudden curses made her tremble and she swore she heard Bucky’s sharp inhale at her back as well. “ _Percy_ -“ Steve breathed, his hand reaching out to caress the side of her neck in reassurance. “Y-you don’t actually-“

Percy’s gaze darkened as she slid her hands along Steve’s spread thighs, biting her lower lip teasingly. “ _Oh_ , but I want to,” She murmured, licking her lips. “I bet you taste amazing,” She went on, her fingertips sliding up to dip beneath the waistband and belt of his pants and he secretly wondered if Bucky and Tony were simultaneously thinking; _like apple pie and ice cream;_ because that had come up once or twice before.

He nearly rolled his eyes at the thought, casting a glance towards his lovers to see them both smirking darkly. He inhaled sharply, unable to keep his hips from shifting forwards in his seat, but then her nimble fingers were unbuckling his belt. “What do you say?” She whispered, looking up at him through lowered lashes, watching his dark purples and brighter golds shifting and bleeding into each other. “Want to let me get my mouth on you?”

“ _Please-_ “ He found himself gasping before he could even begin to _think_ of stopping himself.

“ _Jesus Christ_ -“ Tony muttered from somewhere behind her and she tried to smother her pleased smile as she deftly undid the blonde’s belt, her thumb flicking open the button on his dress pants before carefully drawing down the zipper.

She bit her lower lip as she tugged his pants down slightly, pushing them off his hips, Steve lifting up to aid in any way he could. He felt positively _filthy_ letting her do this in the back of one of Tony’s car’s with Happy- _of all people-_ separated by nothing but a partition- _for Christ sakes-_ but he couldn’t really begin to think about stopping her; not when she looked so goddamn incredible on her knees for him in that pretty black dress with those gorgeously long legs of hers and those _goddamn_ heels spread out behind her.

He hissed as she tentatively palmed at his crotch, his hips lifting just that much more as she dipped her fingers beneath the waistband of his briefs and gave them a firm tug. He helped her pull them down just enough to free himself and then she was looking up at him, watching his swirling colours in complete and utter awe as her gentle, careful fingers grasped him, her other settling warm and comforting against his thigh.

“Oh _my_ ,” She whispered, long fingers gently caressing his length. “Well, aren’t you big…”

“ _Percy_ -“ Steve breathed, unable to voice anything more, his hand moving back to caress the side of her face.

She was trembling, he could feel it in her hand as she grasped him carefully, but then she was letting her eyes close as she leaned in closer between his spread legs, tentatively licking at the head of his cock. He moaned, completely beside himself at the first swipe of her tongue over his sensitive head and she trembled even harder as she wrapped her lips snugly around the crown of his cock.

He choked back an embarrassing sound and watched as her perfectly pink lips stretched around the head and it took all of his willpower to keep his hips from bucking up into her lovely wet warmth. He shuddered as she flicked her tongue against the underside of his cock, sliding it against the glans and making him twitch against her tongue.

She let out a soft whimper around him, dipping to take even more of his cock inside of her mouth. He wasn’t exactly small and she knew there was no way she could take all of him, but that didn’t really deter her; not with the way he was gasping, the muscles in his thighs flexing almost constantly from the strain, from his attempt at holding back.

“ _Fuck-_ “ Steve hissed through clenched teeth, inhaling sharply before his hips were flexing up, unable to stop himself. “Your _goddamn_ ** _mouth_**.”

Percy choked slightly, drawing back before he could slip too much farther into her throat and really make her gag. But as soon as she did so, he was apologizing profusely, his hands smoothing back her hair and caressing her cheeks.

She couldn’t help laughing breathlessly as she pulled off of him, her voice slightly strained as she replied; “You can definitely do that if you like. I know _I’d_ like you to.”

Steve blinked, momentarily at a loss as to what she meant, but then he strung the words he’d just uttered together and before he’d had a chance to voice his concern about _fucking her goddamn mouth_ , Tony was slipping into the seat beside him and Percy’s lips were hot and wet and surrounding him once again. He groaned loudly, head thumping back against the headrest and Tony grinned lasciviously as he gazed down at the brunette as she attempted to take him in even deeper.

Tony cursed under his breath and licked his lips, gaze wide and adoring as he watched her. “Doesn’t she look glorious?” He whispered.

Steve whimpered, eyes fixing back on her gorgeous face. The sound he made was so beautiful and pure, it made Percy open her eyes to stare wide eyed and beautiful at the blonde. “Yes, _yes,_ ” He gasped, hips twitching minutely as his hand grasped her longer locks just a little tighter before relaxing in her hair, not wanting to hurt her.

“You going to give her what she asked for?” Tony murmured, leaning in and nipping at Steve’s neck, clever fingers slipping under his suit jacket and caressing his nipple through his dress shirt.

But when Steve trembled and looked to Tony in a bit of a daze, clearly confused, he couldn’t help huffing out a laugh, smirking darkly. “I believe she said that she’d like it if you fucked her mouth.”

The groan Steve let out at that was nothing in comparison to Percy’s eager moan as she hollowed out her cheeks and sucked Steve down as deep as she could, the head of his cock bumping eagerly against the back of her throat and making her gag.

“Jesus _fuck-_ ” Steve cursed, hips jerking without his say so, making her gag and choke around his cock.

Tony swore under his breath, watching as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and Steve’s careful hand in her hair helped pull her off; though she did seem to be resisting him. She gasped for breath, her lips swollen and spit slick as she started mouthing at the blonde’s cock, tasting and licking at the generous amount of pre-come that was gathering at the tip.

“Come _on_ , Steve,” She gasped, voice breathy as she tried to catch it. “I know you want to. I won’t break,” She insisted, almost petulantly and Bucky’s huff of laughter drew their attention.

“Where have I heard that one before?” Bucky muttered with a very devious smirk directed at the blonde.

Steve’s lopsided smile was fleeting as Percy’s lips enveloped the sensitive head of his cock once again and sucked hard for only an instant before she was popping off abruptly and whispering; “Fuck my mouth, _Captain_.”

Steve groaned, watching as she wrapped her lips around him once again and took him in deep. “S-scratch my thigh if i-it gets to be too much,” He gasped, making sure that she was paying attention when he made her rake her nails against his thigh.

She blinked at him once to let him know that she understood, squeezing his thigh in reassurance before she was relaxing her throat as best she could manage. She felt his hand caressing the side of her neck gently, his other winding in her hair and then he was directing her, making her take just a bit more of him into her mouth.

The first brush of his cock hitting the back of her throat had her throat wanting to close up and she struggled to calm the reflex. She felt another hand in her hair then, Tony’s, pushing her hair back over her shoulders, keeping it out of the way. She blinked, a few tears wanting to escape, but she tried to hold them back.

She whimpered around the cock in her mouth, Steve’s hips flexing as he fucked up into her warmth. She swallowed convulsively and nearly choked when Tony’s hand tightened in her hair along with Steve’s, both dragging her nearly entirely off the blonde’s cock before forcing her back down, her nose barely reaching the base of him and his light dusting of blonde fuzz.

She felt warmth at her back and she shut her eyes tightly, trying to stop them from watering-but to no avail-as Bucky smoothed his hands up her sides. “Oh, _baby doll_ ,” He whispered. “I wish you could see their faces. _God_ , Stevie looks like he’s about ready to blow and Tony looks like he’d give anything to be in his position right about now.”

“I can wait my turn,” Tony insisted breathlessly, licking his lips as he caressed her hair.

She whimpered, Bucky’s hands beginning to wander along her frame, caressing her hips over her dress before dipping lower to caress along her bared calves stretched out behind her, teasing around the edge of where her heels began. Steve was still flexing his hips, making her take him as deep as she could over and over again, soft whimpers and moans escaping him and Tony was definitely _all for_ helping him take what he wanted.

“Jesus Christ, _Buck_ ,” Steve breathed. “D-don’t start-“ He threatened weakly, knowing that if Bucky got started with the dirty talk, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

Bucky chuckled, low and dirty as he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck, glancing towards Tony who was smirking darkly at him, gaze flickering back to Percy and watching tears escape her, her cheeks already flushed and slightly blotchy as Steve continued to fuck her mouth; albeit, _much_ gentler than he’d ever been with Bucky or Tony.

Though, to be fair, Steve had been very gentle with Tony the first time the genius had asked for that sort of thing and he was sure the first time he and Bucky had done that, it hadn’t been rough like they sometimes let themselves get carried away with. But right now, Steve may have been losing himself in his pleasure, but he was more than aware of his own strength and he was being so, _so_ careful not to really hurt her.

“Come on, Stevie. Lookit’ her, she’s gorgeous like this, isn’t she? On her knees for you, taking you _so well,_ ” Bucky praised, his metal hand slipping up Percy’s dress and teasing at her thigh.

She whimpered, her hips jerking and choked on the blonde’s cock harshly for a moment, forcing Steve to draw back to let her breathe; but _fuck,_ he was so, _so_ close. “Bet she’s wet too…” Bucky murmured, more as an after thought, leaning in to breathe against her ear; his gaze flickering down to watch her try and take more of him into her mouth, struggling against both Steve and Tony’s careful grasp on her.

Steve let out a high whine in the back of this throat at that and his breath caught and the two men realized he was holding himself back from his impending orgasm. “I-I, _oh fuck,_ I’m gonna-“ Steve gasped and Percy’s matching whine was far louder as she shut her eyes and swallowed around him, attempting to bury her nose against the base of his cock.

He couldn’t help it when he curled forwards over her, burying both of his hands in her hair and holding her so carefully as he spilled inside of her warmth. She managed to pull back at the first twitch of his cock and she moaned as his orgasm overtook him, his body trembling as his release flooded her mouth.

She drank him down, her own hips twitching with the burning hot need between her legs intensifying as she tasted him for the first time. She swallowed around him, breathing harshly through her nose as she continued to bob her head upon him slowly, drawing out his orgasm as his fingers gentled in her hair.

Tony’s hand had slipped from her hair to caress her heated cheek, wiping away the tears that had gathered. That’s when she realized that Bucky was murmuring something soft and sweet sounding against her hair in Russian, nuzzling in behind her ear as Steve managed to sit back up, his still hard cock slipping from between her swollen lips.

She dragged in a deep, desperate, shuddering breath, licking her swollen lips and in the same moment, gasped out; “Please, _oh God_ , **_touch me_** , _please_ ,” She begged in positively the most _wrecked_ voice they had ever heard.

Steve inhaled sharply, hauling her up to straddle his thighs as carefully as he could manage before he kissed her desperately, his large calloused, _warm_ hands skimming down over her sides, caressing and groping at her. She was whimpering and gasping against his lips, still trying to get her breath back, but then she felt a cool metal hand slipping up the outside of her thigh and her hips jerked forwards in a grind against Steve’s lap.

She panted at the feel of his cock pressing up between her legs and Steve groaned loudly. “ _Out_ -“ Tony suddenly demanded. “Out of the car, _now,_ ” He breathed, shoving at Steve’s side impatiently.

Percy blinked dazedly and then Bucky was drawing her back towards the door and they were hastily stumbling out of the car. She hadn’t even felt the car _moving_ …were they back at the Tower already?Considering not thirty-seconds later they were all piling into one of the elevators in Tony’s private garage, no Happy in sight, she assumed so.

She yelped in surprise as Bucky lifted her into his arms, her legs instinctively wrapping around his middle as he pressed her up against the elevator wall and pressed kiss after heated kiss against her lips, licking feverishly into her mouth and tasting Steve’s release on her tongue.

“You did so good, doll. _So good_ , you have no idea how fuckin’ hot you looked on your knees like that,” Bucky breathed in between frantic kisses.

Percy gasped, hands scrabbling for purchase against his shoulders, her fingers gripping at the metal exceptionally tight and Bucky groaned as he nipped at her bottom lip. “I-I’d get on my knees for you, Bucky. Tony too, i-if you wanted-“ She admitted.

Before Bucky had a chance to tell her how much he’d love that, but it wasn’t necessary right this second, Tony was piping up. “Jesus Christ, _Percy_ ,” Tony swore. “H-how are you even _real?_ ”

Percy’s cheeks flushed. Okay, so she _maybe_ , sorta, _definitely_ had a thing for sucking cock and really, it was never honestly something she actively thought about. She’d not really enjoyed oral sex in the past, but it was different somehow with them.

She _wanted_ to be responsible for their pleasure. She figured that she liked the aspect of control, either it being they holding the reigns and dictating the pace, her knowing that she was able to give them pleasure like that or her moving freely and giving them pleasure as she saw fit. She liked being in control just as much as she enjoyed them having that control too. She’d be happy either way, so long as it was with them.

“I’m real, I promise,” She insisted, cheeks flushing and then the elevator doors were opening and Bucky was readjusting his grip on her and carrying her out into their private floor’s living room.

Bucky chuckled as her arms tightened around his shoulders. “We know you are, doll. Just sometimes we can’t believe our luck. I mean, _I_ like to be on my knees for my best guys, but I wouldn’t have expected that sort of thing from you.”

Percy bit her lower lip, looking up at him shyly. “Well, I guess I’m a little like you then…”

Bucky bit down on his lower lip hard, trying to stifle his amused smile. Steve cleared his throat slightly from behind them and he was momentarily distracted by the blonde while he held onto Percy easily, her legs still wrapped tightly around his middle. “I feel like we should be a little more…civilized…and maybe offer you some coffee…you know?” Steve tried weakly, realizing he sounded idiotic even as he said it.

He was pretty sure they’d passed the whole, _let’s invite her up to our place for a cup of coffee and see where this goes,_ stage. But he figured he’d give it a go. Percy and Tony burst into a fit of giggles while Bucky just grinned at his lover fondly, still holding onto her tightly.

“I think we can skip the coffee, love,” Percy told him, her giggles having subsided.

But then she was squirming in Bucky’s arms and he set her down, albeit, a touch reluctantly. He really liked having her in his arms like that and vaguely wondered if she would let him do it again sometime soon. Like, maybe in the next five minutes.

Steve’s cheeks were bright red as she approached him, gently pressing the palm of her hand flat over his heart and the burning bright mix of colours only she could see. “You’re probably right,” He conceded, swallowing hard.

“Why don’t we take this to the bedroom then?” She asked, unable to stop from licking her lips. “Because I’d very much like to see what other fun we can get up to together.”

Tony let out a very needy groan then and her gaze flickered towards the genius, unable to stifle a cheeky grin. “You sound a little interested,” She teased and Tony spluttered.

“A _little_ interested? You’ve got it all wrong, sweet cheeks,” Tony breathed, walking around to press himself up against her back.

She shivered as his hands settled against her hips, holding her gently. His hands flexed for an instant against her and she blushed, both of her hands grasping tighter at Steve’s dress shirt. The blonde pressed in closer and then Tony was pressing his hips flush against her, forcing her more firmly into Steve.

She trembled as Tony’s warm breath tickled her ear, “I am so _beyond_ interested, sugar. I have every intention of having my way with you tonight and watching Bucky and Steve take you apart thereafter. I want to drag you to our bedroom and it is taking _all_ of my self-restraint to keep from pinning you against the kitchen table, which is _right there-_ in case you were wondering-and positively _ravishing_ you.”

Percy’s breathing hitched, her cheeks flushed pink as she gazed ahead of her at Steve’s swirling heart colours. She swallowed hard and then she was twisting in their embrace, her hands fisting in the genius’ shirt as she pressed him backwards, towards where she knew the hallway that led to their bedrooms was.

“Who said I had any intention of letting you _have your way with me_ , as you put it?” She questioned. “Maybe _I_ want to have my way with _you_ ,” She breathed lowly, leaning in and nipping at Tony’s pouty bottom lip.

He groaned loudly and let himself be pushed along and soon he was steering them both towards the bedroom he shared with Steve and Bucky. He’d barely managed to kick open the door before they were stumbling through it, Percy gasping out and Tony’s breath leaving him as they collapsed onto the bed. 

He would have laughed at the silliness of it, had he not just then wound up with a lapful of Percy. He lay flat against the covers, legs hanging over the side with Percy straddling his lap and biting her bottom lip teasingly as she gazed down at him. Both of her hands slid up the length of his torso and soon she was flicking open the buttons of his dress shirt.

“Would you mind if I ravished you?” She asked coyly, voice dipping low as she looked at him beneath lowered lashes. “I’m sure James and Steve would love to watch,” She teased, already having worked her way down to the last button, tugging his shirt from his pants.

Tony swallowed hard. “You can do whatever the hell you want to me, sweetheart.”

She smirked, gaze flickering towards where she saw Steve and Bucky rounding the other side of the bed. “You’re probably going to regret that at some point, Mr. Stark,” She teased. “Though I doubt it’ll be tonight.”

Tony chuckled, a low groan escaping him as she slipped backwards, dragging her ass against the front of his slacks, his cock already hard and aching in his pants and the friction was delightful, but no where near enough. She bit her lower lip, getting off the bed and then she was reaching over him and pushing his shirt open.

She was disappointed when her fingertips met with a tank top, but simply made do and rucked it up a bit, exposing his stomach. Her hands immediately started to wander, her nimble fingers caressing and teasing along his ribs and down his sides, slipping beneath the waistband of his dress pants.

His measured inhale made her smirk darkly up at him, but then she was stepping back slightly and looking towards Bucky. “Since Steve’s already had a bit of fun, why don’t I get your help…I’d like to get out of this dress.”

Bucky swallowed, nodding quickly before he was coming around to stand behind her. She smiled, letting herself press back against his warmth for a moment as Tony propped himself up on his elbows to watch. Bucky’s hands caressed down her exposed arms, shawl lost somewhere between the restaurant and their room and he really could have cared less about it at this point. He’d remember to be sorry about it later and make sure to find it for her though

Percy bit down on her lower lip, gathering her hair to the side and sweeping it over her shoulder, exposing her back to her lover. Bucky inhaled deeply, his hands slipping from her arms to settle on her hips. “The dress really is lovely on you, Percy,” He whispered, his lips ghosting lightly against the back of her neck and pressing a kiss to the clasp of her necklace.

Percy smiled, shy all of a sudden and she turned her head, ducking it slightly as she murmured a soft thank you. They weren’t stupid. They realized pretty quickly that she didn’t handle compliments too well. They wondered what it was about them that made her react this way and Bucky tried to put it aside for the moment as he let the fingers of his flesh and blood hand come up and unclasp the back of her dress before taking hold of the zipper.

“I hope you like what I have on underneath just as much as the dress,” She whispered, almost absently after a beat.

Bucky’s breath hitched and Tony and Steve both attempted to stifle their _very_ interested sounds. The sound of the zipper being drawn seemed loud in the quiet room and Percy bit her lower lip as she closed her eyes.

A moment later, Bucky had her dress completely unzipped and a simple move on her part had it slipping from her frame and pooling at her feet. She stepped out of it easily, still wearing her heels, of course. She imagined if she even attempted to take them off at this point, they’d have something to say about it.

And then they just _stared_. She could feel their eyes on her, their heart colours still their brilliant shades, but their aura’s were swirling and that deep dark purple seemed to be nearly obliterating every other colour. Though the peach shades she’d been seeing only seemed to grow and spread out from their hearts all the more.

“We _so_ have Nat to thank for this, don’t we?” Tony asked excitedly, his eyes practically raking over her frame.

She couldn’t help laughing lightly, her right hand coming up to press over her heart as she looked to him and all his beautiful colours. She was wearing a lacy black bralette that ended below her breasts in an almost bustier like fashion. The lace was all delicate, ornate scalloping with a single black bow between her breasts, the ends trailing across her midsection. The panties she wore were high waisted, but nearly see-through, the same type of lace detailing as the top and from the back, there was a lovely matching bow that sat right where the beginning of the curve of her bum began.

Bucky swallowed hard, unable to stop himself from looking down at her glorious behind and really wishing he could see the front of her too…but he was pretty content to stare at her ass. It was pretty lovely, after all.

“She may have had a hand in my wardrobe choices for tonight,” She agreed absently, biting her lower lip as she stepped closer to the bed and in turn, closer to Tony.

Tony swore under his breath as he watched her with wide, hungry eyes. He wanted his hands on every inch of her and like, _now._ “You are such a tease,” He breathed shakily.

Percy blushed, shaking her head as she placed her hands against his thighs. “A tease doesn’t deliver, Tony. _I_ plan on making good on my promises,” She whispered, leaning in to peck a kiss to his lips. “Now, get undressed,” She ordered.

Tony didn’t think he’d ever lost his clothes so quickly in his life. He practically bolted upright and tore them from his frame, tossing them carelessly to the floor before he was motioning towards Steve and Bucky. “Don’t you want them naked too?” He asked.

Percy smirked, biting her lower lip as she glanced towards Steve and Bucky, who had finally managed to get a proper look at her as he went back to standing beside Steve. “I do,” She agreed, staring them down until they got the hint and started divesting themselves of their clothes.

By the time they were all successfully out of the way and completely naked, save for Percy and her very scantily clad self, they were flushed and needy and so, _so_ hard and aching to touch, to _be_ touched. Percy was standing before Tony, the genius standing at the edge of the bed watching her heatedly, his fingers twitching at his sides as he observed her.

“You’re beautiful, you know that, Percy?” He whispered.

She blushed, smiling shyly as she stepped in close, her hands coming up and caressing along his chest, fingertips coming dangerously close to the Arc Reactor. Unthinkingly, Tony’s hands grasped her wrists, stilling their progress and she blinked, concern flashing across her features for only a moment before he pressed a reassuring kiss to her lips.

“Lie down on the bed, sweetheart. I desperately need to see you spread out on our sheets,” He breathed, nipping at her bottom lip teasingly.

She nipped back before she kissed him deeply. He kissed her back just as passionately, hands never releasing his grasp on her wrists as he twisted and pushed her back onto the bed. She gasped as she landed on her back, blushing furiously. “O-okay, but I still have plans to ravish you,” She tried to insist.

Tony smirked, shaking his head. “Let me do the ravishing for now, there’ll be time for that later. I just- _fuck_ -I need to get my hands on you, my _mouth_ ,” He breathed lowly, moving to lean over top of her.

She trembled, scooting back on the bed as Tony crawled over her, stealing her lips once again in a heated kiss. She whimpered against him, parting her lips and letting him take over, his tongue slipping in and teasing against hers.

Steve sat at the edge of the bed, hand loosely wrapped about his cock as he watched while Bucky stood beside him, one knee braced against the bed, both hands flat against the covers as he watched the pair just as hungrily.

They were beautiful together. Percy’s tanned skin flushed and sliding against Tony’s more olive complexion. They looked like a match made in Heaven and he bit his lower lip to keep from saying so. “ _Tony-_ “ She breathed as he broke the kiss, slipping down her frame to press kiss after kiss against her lace covered breasts and lower still, over her heated skin.

“What do you want, love? We’ll give you anything you want,” He purred, nipping at the skin beneath the edge of her brasier.

She gasped, twisting in his grasp and he smirked at her reaction, stilling her with hands to her hips. “I love these panties, so old-fashioned but with a modern twist. Was that intentional?” He asked, gaze flickering towards Steve and Bucky who were watching them with heated gazes of their own.

Percy bit her lower lip hard, her back arching delightfully as Tony’s lips grazed against her inner thigh. “M-maybe a little intent behind it, yeah,” She conceded, colour high on her cheeks.

Tony chuckled, flashing a dazzling grin in Bucky and Steve’s direction and watching as his lovers shifted, the blonde letting out a low groan as he continued to tease himself. “You’re pushing all of our buttons tonight, Percy,” Tony told her, licking his lips before pressing a kiss against the seam of the panties where they met her inner thigh.

She whimpered softly, hips twitching, the muscle in her thigh jumping. “Th-that’s great, Tony. But maybe you could put that _lovely_ mouth of yours to better use.”

Tony grinned and no one was surprised when Bucky snickered at their side and Percy’s smug little smile was short-lived as Tony huffed, trying to sound very unimpressed and missing by a mile as his fingertips ghosted along the edge of her panties along her inner thighs. “Is that what you want? My mouth on you?” He asked teasingly.

Percy bit her lower lip hard as she nodded. “Go on now, Percy. Tell us what you want,” Steve urged, watching the pair with great interest.

Percy trembled, letting the sound of his soothing yet commanding tone wash over her and settle some of her nerves. “I-I want Tony’s mouth on me so badly,” She confessed, a shiver racing up her spine.

Tony groaned softly as he nipped at the sensitive skin of her bared inner thigh, fingertips caressing the edge of her panties before grasping her hips lightly and pulling her towards him a bit more. She gasped at the sudden change in angle as her hips came slightly off the bed, but then Tony was kneeling at the edge of the bed, pressing his lips firmly against the front of her panties.

She inhaled sharply, her hands scrambling for purchase against the covers as her back arched delightfully at the barely there contact. “ _God-_ “ Steve breathed. “She’s so _responsive_.”

Bucky licked his lips, watching with wide eyes as Tony hummed his agreement before he was licking and kissing at the front of her panties, hands on the underside of her lovely thighs and pressing them up and apart in a delightful splay.

She whimpered loudly, hands clutching at the sheets as she tossed her head back and tried to press her hips back against him, the heels of her stilettos brushing against his shoulders . “Tony- _please-_ “ She pleaded and the genius groaned, pressing his tongue flat against the heat between her legs.

He could _feel_ it radiating from her body, the slight tremors wracking her beautiful frame, the quivering of her muscles beneath his hands, the sweet smell of her. He wanted to take her _apart._ He inhaled deeply before he was hooking his fingers under the hem of her panties and dragging them aside enough to reveal her to him.

The most desperate whimper he’d ever heard reached his ears and it took him a moment or three to realize that it was coming from _him_. “Oh _dear God!_ ” He breathed harshly, inhaling the wonderful scent of her sex so close to him.

Percy’s needy moan was enough to put his brain back online and he very nearly _dove in_ , all plans of sweeping her off her feet with his talented tongue flying out the window the second he saw her, completely bare and exposed to him. He licked needily at her sex, lapping his tongue against her folds, hands coming up to hold her steady as he spread her with her thumbs and all but went to _town_ on her gorgeously pink centre.

She cried out, back arching up from the bed as Tony eagerly lapped at her, his skilled tongue sliding teasingly against her clit while one of his thumbs slipped lower, teasing at her entrance. But then he was _there_ , tongue pointed and slipping into her tight heat over and over and _over again._

She was panting, moaning and whimpering desperately and she only just managed to wind a hand in his dark locks before she felt a heat pressing against her side and warm lips latching onto her throat. “Tony- _Tony_ -“ She whimpered, her entire body shaking with the desperate and suddenly all consuming need to come.

“ _Christ_ , Stevie. Look’it her,” Bucky breathed, having shifted to get closer to the pair when Steve had pressed up by her side on the bed.

“Mmm,” Steve hummed. “She’s close, look how much she’s shaking,” He practically growled against the taught column of her throat, giving her a harsh parting nip before he pulled away and relishing in the little squeak she gave.

“She blushes so pretty,” Steve murmured a beat later, skimming the backs of his knuckles against her shivering bicep as she grasped Tony’s locks even tighter than before.

Tony groaned, his face virtually buried between her legs as he continued to taste her in earnest, desperately wanting her to come on his tongue. “Ah- _ah-_ “ Percy gasped, hips shifting as she tried to chase his warmth as he started deliberately teasing her, sucking her folds and leaving her clit alone for apparently too long.

“You taste incredible, Percy. I- _God_ -I never want to leave this spot,” Tony confessed, hands shifting to grip her ass through the lace of her panties.

She whimpered, body twisting impatiently against him, her breathing still ragged in their ears. But then Steve was chuckling and soothing her, smoothing a hand back over her hair to comfort her. “You want to come, sweetheart? You want to come with Tony’s tongue buried in you?” He asked breathlessly.

She moaned loudly, unashamed, and then she was crying out as Tony’s talented mouth did something wicked to her clit. Steve smirked, drawing his bottom lip between his teeth as he watched her writhe on Tony’s face. He knew how good his lover’s mouth was. “Yes- _yes_ -“ She gasped, suddenly reaching out to him, relinquishing her grasp on Tony’s hair.

“Mmm, but maybe you’d like to come with Bucky’s cock in your mouth _and_ Tony’s tongue in you-“ Steve started to suggest.

“F-fuck, fuck, fuck, _yes!_ ” She cried, back arching and hand clawing uselessly at Steve’s forearm.

He couldn’t help smirking as he looked down at her, watching the rise and fall of her breasts still hidden beneath that lovely lace brasier. Bucky inhaled deeply, just thinking about having her pretty pink lips wrapped snugly around his cock was enough to make a shudder run through him. He licked his lips and leaned in closer to her, opposite where Steve currently resided and caressed the backs of his metal knuckles against her side.

Her gaze snapped towards him and she whimpered, her left hand shooting out to press against his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin, his solid muscles quivering beneath her fingertips. “Y-you want that, doll?” Bucky asked hesitantly, his cool metal hand smoothing over her stomach and realizing that for the moment, Tony had eased up on his assault.

“ _Please_ , Bucky. Please-“ She begged, her entire body taught and trembling at the same time as she slipped her hand around the back of his neck and drew him towards her for a kiss.

He moaned as his lips met hers and he pressed in closer for a moment, his hand still settled lightly on her stomach before he let it wander further up, over the swell of her breasts to rest his palm carefully against the base of her throat; metal fingertips grazing against the rapidly beating pulse he found there.

She moaned against his lips, nipping and drawing his lower lip between her teeth before letting go, panting in the space between them. “Please, Bucky. I want to taste you,” She whimpered, her eyelids fluttering and a long moan escaping her as Tony started licking more insistently at her.

“Y-yeah, okay, doll. I-I really want-“ He choked back the rest of what he was going to say and instead let out a frustrated breath as he shifted and tried to figure out how best to do this.

Steve seemed to cotton on quickly enough, however, and motioned for Bucky to move to the opposite side of the bed. “Stand at the edge there, Buck. Tony? Could you let up for two-seconds and help her move-just- _here-_ “ Steve directed, but Tony was already ahead of him, shuffling them both across the bed and in the process, peeling her panties down her legs and over her heekls and groaning at just how goddamn _perfect_ she looked sprawled out in their bed.

Soon enough he had her head draped slightly over the opposite side of the bed, Bucky hovering behind her, grasping the base of his cock firmly in his flesh and blood hand as he watched Tony’s gorgeously talented hands skim up and over her sides in a soothing manner. Her breathing was still laboured and when Bucky cast a glance towards Steve, he found the blonde gazing down at her with such rapt attention.

“You’re so goddamn _gorgeous,_ Percy,” Steve breathed, moving to kneel at the foot of the bed so that he could better survey his lovers. “Your skin is all flushed and dear _God_ , the sounds you make have my head spinning and we’ve barely even started.”

Percy shuddered at the sound of his voice washing over her and she found her eyes closing of their own accord as a shiver rushed through her very bones. She was feeling overwhelmed with all three of them pressing in on her, but it was so _so_ good and she didn’t want it to stop. She swallowed past the sudden lump that lodged itself in her throat and exhaled shakily as she turned to look at all of his beautiful colours shifting and bleeding into one another. 

“Please,” She whispered. “I-stop talking, I-I can’t-“ She breathed, brows pinching as she squirmed, Tony’s ministrations having very nearly stopped as he caressed her hips, her thighs, her sides; anywhere he could reach while only breathing against her inner thigh as he spread himself between her legs.

Steve’s gaze softened and he nodded. He understood. She wasn’t good with the compliments thing, he knew-they knew-and he thought he knew why, but he would warm her up to that sooner rather than later. “Alright, sweetheart, _easy,_ ” He consoled, looking to Bucky. “Let’s get Bucky settled and see if you’re okay with this position, yeah?”

She simply nodded, unconsciously or maybe consciously licking her lips as she tipped her head back even more to look up at him. Bucky shuddered, his gaze sweeping over the exposed column of her throat and catching on the pearls draped around her neck, the yellow diamond glinting in the low light of their bedroom. He swallowed thickly and took a step closer to her, reaching out to take up her hand and let it grasp his hip, only to have her slip her hand back further to grasp his ass.

He shuddered as she gripped him firmly, her nails only dragging in a bit. “Dig those pretty nails of yours in nice’n hard if it’s too much, doll, okay?” He insisted, letting her grope at him for another moment as he stepped in closer.

“‘Kay,” She breathed, eyes so wide and round as she gazed up at his colours before raking her nails along him and delighting in the shiver it worked out of him.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “She’s trouble,” He confessed, taking hold of himself and watching as her lips parted and she winked up at him teasingly.

Tony chuckled from between her legs and Bucky would have laughed too if she hadn’t just swiped her tongue out to lick at the head of his cock. He shuddered, eyes drifting shut for only a moment before he was being urged forward by her sure hand and then it was tight wet heat enveloping the head of his cock, devious tongue sliding around the crown and teasing at the frenulum and then he was groaning, pressing further, _further-_

He choked back a grunt and forced himself to look down at her beautiful self, throat tightening and relaxing as she let him in and in and _in._ Steve’s muttered curse wasn’t enough to draw his attention then, not when the flush she’d been sporting since the car-ride home had spread and deepened even more so and Tony was staring up at them with adoration and a deep seeded hunger in his eyes. 

And then Tony breathed in deeply and spread her thighs more insistently than probably necessary as he latched his mouth onto her folds and swirled his tongue around her clit desperately. She moaned around Bucky’s cock, body going tense for a split second as she got used to Tony’s mouth on her again while Bucky slipped into her throat easily.

Bucky grunted as his cock slipped in almost effortlessly and he found himself curling over her, both hands coming to brace himself against the edge of the bed, but then he thought better of it and instead rest his hands against her sides, shifting his hips back only a touch before sliding back into her mouth.

The needy whimper she released around his cock sent a wave of pleasure spiralling up his spine and he knew, he just _knew_ it wasn’t going to take long before he blew his top. He groaned, gripping her sides a little more eagerly than he probably should have and let himself get lost in the feeling of her heat wrapped around his prick, gaze straying from her face to the way her chest rose and fell while Tony busied himself between her legs, tongue delving into her while his thumb came up to rub hard and fast at her clit.

Steve was beside himself, watching his lovers from the sidelines, hand wrapped tightly around his cock as he stroked himself slow but firm, dancing on the knife’s edge of an orgasm he definitely wanted to prolong. His gaze flickered down towards Tony who was suddenly shifting to prop himself up on an elbow while he nipped at her inner thigh, fingers disappearing between her legs.

And then she keened.

Or, rather, it would have been a keening cry if she hadn’t had Bucky’s cock buried deep in her throat. She choked around him, hips jerking and Bucky pulled back to give her some breathing room, but she only grasped his ass tighter and yanked him back in, shooting him a murderous glare. Bucky huffed, understanding obviously that he wasn’t allowed to move and went back to fucking her throat slow and deep.

Steve’s eyes snapped back to Tony between her legs and the genius had a wicked grin plastered across his face, lips and chin, goatee included, slick with saliva and her juices and his mouth positively _watered_ at the sight, mouth filling up with saliva so fast it was embarrassing. He _really_ fucking wanted a taste of her. But he could wait. He could totally wait.

Tony groaned, hand jerking out of sight and Percy let out a decidedly pornographic moan. Steve decided he needed to get a better view. He shifted, careful not to upset anyone and stepped up behind Tony and it took _all_ of his self-restraint not to dive in between her glorious legs himself.

Tony had two fingers buried inside of her, thumb rubbing against her clit in slow hard circles while his fingers continued their onslaught inside of her. He wondered what she felt like inside. Wondered if she was hot, slick and tight and so _wet_. He grunted, his hand having picked up the pace on his cock of its own accord. He forced his grip to tighten at the base of his cock, stalling the beautiful build-up he could feel in his gut and took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself.

Tony turned his head, glancing over his shoulder at the blonde as he stepped in closer to see what Tony was doing. He grinned. “Like what you see, Cap?”

Steve’s cheeks pinked and he licked his lips as he leaned in, bracing a hand against the bed as he pressed a kiss to Percy’s hip, hand trailing down her slender leg only to toy with the heel of her stiletto. “What kind of stupid question is that?” He muttered, voice having gone hoarse.

Tony laughed, pressing a kiss to the inside of Percy’s thigh and watching the muscle jump, a soft moan escaping around Bucky’s cock as her hips twitched. “She’s beautiful…she’s so tight and squeezing my fingers just-“ He breathed out a curse, hand shifting to get his fingers deeper inside of her. “ _Right-_ “ He finished.

The shudder and deep moan that worked up from around Bucky’s cock was enough to get the genius cursing again and nipping at her inner thigh, fingers moving faster than before. Bucky groaned loudly, drawing back as his flesh and blood hand came up to caress her throat, cock pulling back just enough to rest on her tongue. “Her mouth feels like Heaven,” He breathed, voice having taken on a gravelly edge.

He shuddered as her tongue laved around the head of his cock repeatedly and he couldn’t help the low moan he gave at that, fingers grasping her throat tenderly, his metal hand clasping her waist carefully; despite his arousal, he could be careful. But it was starting to burn up inside of him and he wasn’t sure how much more he could take.

“T-Tony, you have to make her come,” He demanded, hips twitching forwards as she dug her nails in a bit and yanked him back towards her.

She moaned around him, eyes drifting shut, hips twitching as Tony continued to curl and slide his fingers inside of her, thumb having eased off her clit. “You close?” Steve asked, knowing the answer before he’d even asked.

Bucky’s jerky nod made him smile and he chuckled, low and dirty, bending down again and nuzzling at Tony’s temple. “Go on then, make her come,” Steve whispered, nipping at the genius’s ear as he pulled back.

Tony groaned and suddenly his lips were wrapped around her clit and his tongue was flicking against it relentlessly while his fingers curled, hand flexing with his hidden movements. Her back bowed up from the bed as she shoved her hips down onto this fingers, a whine tearing free of her throat as she worked Bucky over to the best of her ability before giving up and just letting him fuck her mouth, her throat.

Bucky grunted, her nails dragging along his hip briefly before latching onto his ass again, fingers unintentionally, or intentionally, digging into the cleft. He tried to keep his rhythm steady, but he was falling to pieces as her throat opened so easily for him, taking him in over and over and over again. Steve had taken a step back and was watching them heatedly, gaze flickering back towards Tony as he ground his hips against the mattress in an attempt to get some friction against his aching cock. 

He clicked his tongue and he knew Tony was trying to ignore him as he buried his face between her thighs once again. He smirked when Tony lifted himself up slightly only a moment later in an attempt to stop himself from rutting against the bedsheets.

“That’s it,” Steve cooed, reaching out and smoothing a hand down along Tony’s back. “I bet she tastes incredible, can’t wait to lick her taste out of your mouth when you’re finished with her, baby. Then maybe you’ll let me get my mouth on her and I bet Bucky’s just _dying_ to get a taste for himself.”

Bucky cursed under his breath and Tony let out a soft moan as he sucked and licked, _teased_ at her clit, fingers pressing up inside of her and rubbing against her upper wall, feeling her spot pulse and swell with every passing second. He wondered if she could come like that. If she’d ever had a g-spot orgasm before, if she could. By _God_ , he wanted to try and give her that.

He broke the contact from her clit and breathed out harshly. “C-can you come on just my fingers, darling?” He asked in a rush, arousal searing through him so strongly that he was sure his legs would have given out if he’d been standing.

She whined, the hand not gripping Bucky’s ass reaching out and winding itself in the genius’ locks as she tugged his mouth away from her clit. Tony grinned, turning his head and kissing at the inside of her wrist before nipping lightly. “Mmm, that looks like a yes. But you should probably actually say yes or make Bucky say yes-“

Bucky suddenly jerked, shouting out in surprise as Percy’s hand slipped, her fingers delving, _searching_. They clearly found what they were looking for as she teased her middle finger over his puckered entrance, doing nothing more than adding pressure to rile him up, but it was _working~_ Her brain helpfully singsonged as Bucky’s hoarse, “ _Yes!_ ” Filled their ears.

Tony chuckled, smirking darkly as he nodded, tugging against the grip she had on his hair and relishing in the slight sting before she thought to let go of his locks, hand burying itself back in the sheets at her side. “Have you ever seen a woman achieve a g-spot orgasm, boys?” Tony asked teasingly, fingers picking up an even more aggressive pace, fingers curling, _stroking_.

Percy mewled, lips split slick, hips bucking and Tony smirked, watching as Bucky lost a bit more control, his hips stuttering forward as yet another curse escaped him. “No,” Steve whispered. “But we’d like to.”

Bucky shuddered, groaning loudly as he let go of her side and stood back up a bit, hands falling to caress her cheeks. “Mmm, you’re going to want to watch this then,” Tony murmured, a smirk evident in his voice.

It didn’t take long and Steve wondered if it was testament to how incredibly skilled Tony could be or if it was just that she’d been so worked up in the car after blowing him that brought her to the edge so quickly. Maybe it was a bit of both. He honestly didn’t really care. It was glorious to watch her fall apart, to lose herself in pleasure and just _let go_.

He watched as Tony’s fingers continued their assault and within a minute she was arching, hips barely being restrained by one of Tony’s arms across her middle as he tried to pin her down and then she was quite obviously coming. A keening cry welled up from the depths of her chest and she released Bucky’s ass only to press her hand roughly against the brunette’s abs in an attempt to push him back, only a little.

But Bucky was cursing, feeling her throat convulse around him, watching her writhe and moan, her body so close to release and it took all of his effort to pull from her warmth, but he was so, _so_ happy he did. Because no sooner had he pulled free of her, hand grasping his cock roughly as he stroked himself hard and fast, did her body tense up, every muscle straining and just about going bowstring taught with tension as she came.

_Oh_ and he was sure he’d never seen an orgasm quite like this one. She cried out, voice hoarse and cracked and so utterly _rough._ Tony sat back a bit, his fingers still moving inside of her steadily as he licked his lips and let his gaze wander over her frame, only to settle on her pulsing clit and then she _squirted_. 

Her release struck his forearm and higher still, droplets reaching up as far as his chest and collarbone…and yes, some managed to land on the Reactor. He groaned, licking his lips as he leaned in again in hopes of catching some on his face. He wasn’t disappointed and neither were Bucky and Steve. 

Steve was swearing, pressing up against Tony and slotting his cock roughly between Tony’s cheeks, rutting helplessly while Bucky grunted, moaning loudly as he jerked himself, just about ready to tumble over the edge not two-seconds after he watched some of her release land on Tony’s cheek and the edge of his mouth, where he eagerly licked it off.

Percy was breathing harshly, little moans and soft whimpers escaping her as her entire body jerked and spasmed, her breasts heaving with her harsh breaths. “Oh-oh- _oh-“_ She was gasping as she stretched and whimpered, eyes drifting shut and then she felt it; Bucky’s hips jerking against the side of the bed to her left as he very nearly doubled over.

“B-Bucky- _Bucky-_ “ She gasped roughly, reaching for him, knowing he was holding back from coming and just _wanting_ so damn _badly._ “On my face, baby, _come on_.”

Bucky swore under his breath in Russian and she distantly felt Tony’s hand withdrawing from between her legs as her body shook as she came down from her orgasm. She moaned loudly, arching and hoping the way she was splayed was enough to tempt Bucky. It was. It _so_ was.

He pushed back from the bed to take up his place over her and it didn’t take long before he was stroking himself off over her, his orgasm washing over him all at once. He watched, completely enraptured, as the first drops of his come landed on her cheek and she whimpered loudly, turning her head and shutting her eyes. He was relieved to see at least one of them had the wherewithal to cover Percy’s pearls as Tony reached up and gently pressed a hand to her throat, not restricting, just sheltering the pearls and stone from his come.

He moaned, nearly doubling over with the force of his orgasm, hand slowing its movements on his oversensitive cock as tremors continued to wrack through his frame. He wrung every last drop he possibly could from his cock, watching and thoroughly enjoying seeing her face absolutely _covered_ in his come. He shuddered as one of her hands came up to caress his hip idly, a soft moan escaping her as her leg twitched, Tony shifting between her splayed thighs and smoothing his hands along her sides.

“You’re so amazing-“ Bucky breathed, shaking his head in disbelief as he pulled back and bent down to kiss her upside down.

She whimpered against his lips, her neck aching slightly at the awkward angle, but Tony seemed to realize and slowly pulled her towards him, letting them adjust accordingly. Bucky kissed her deeply, licking into her mouth and tasting himself, his flesh and blood hand coming up to smooth some of his come over her cheek before he was pressing his come covered thumb past her lips, chasing the taste of himself as he pressed it into her mouth.

She was whimpering, squirming and then Steve was dragging Tony away from her warmth and stealing his swollen lips in a desperately needy kiss. The genius was caught off guard, enjoying the show his two lovers were putting on when Steve grabbed him and he gasped out in surprise when the blonde ravished his mouth, leaving no room for dispute.

He went pliant in his lovers arms and gave up any hope of controlling the kiss, sinking into Steve’s warm embrace as he pressed him back against the bed beside Percy’s hip. Lost in his lover’s hungry kiss, he failed to notice Bucky having shifted and moved to her other side, metal hand slowly skimming down Percy’s quivering side and along her trembling stomach. She was whimpering softly against his lips as they shared a proper kiss now, no longer straining with the attempt at an upside down one.

Percy’s hands were tangled up in Bucky’s hair, keeping him right where she wanted him as they shared a kiss and he was breathing harshly through his nose, as was she, as they both came down from their orgasms and it wasn’t until Steve’s large calloused hand settled on her thigh that she broke away from his lips with a sharp inhalation.

She turned away from Bucky who was now licking lightly at her cheek, cleaning up his mess, only to meet with Steve’s soft groan of arousal as he watched the pair. He had Tony pinned beneath him, squirming delightfully under him as he rocked his hips against him deliberately slow; obviously both wanting to ease the ache of their combined arousal.

She could see their colours pressing against one another, their bodies so tightly pressed together that it looked almost as if they were truly melded, even though she knew it wasn’t the case. But she couldn’t suppress the moan at the thought of them together like that, _joined_ like that. She shivered, back arching and a gasp catching in her throat suddenly as Steve’s hand slipped towards the inside of her thigh.

She tipped her legs open without thought and a languid moan escaped her as his fingers delved into her heat, fingertips barely ghosting against her flesh before exploring her folds curiously. She turned her head back towards Bucky as Steve let out a low growl, two of his fingers dipping into her sex and dragging the wetness of her arousal onto them before he drew them back to his lips.

He sucked and licked them clean, relishing in the dirty moan Bucky let loose as he watched, Percy’s lips having found his flesh and blood shoulder, teeth nipping and lips sucking at his heated flesh. “C-come on, doll,” Bucky managed to gasp. “Y-you gotta’-“

But he was interrupted by Percy’s soft moan. “ _James-_ I-“ She started, only to gasp out a curse as she felt Tony and Steve both shifting to get closer to her, hands wandering over her middle, caressing along her stomach, _teasing_ at the edge of her lingerie.

She whimpered again, hips shifting as she reached out to grasp Tony’s bicep with one hand with the other still wound tight in Bucky’s hair. “God, _Percy_ , you’re just so soft,” Tony breathed, mouth latching onto the side of her neck as he started pressing little sucky kisses against her heated flesh.

“ _Tony-_ “ She breathed, whimpering as she arched beneath them, only to have Steve’s hand cup the swell of one of her breasts and squeeze gently. 

The desperate cry she gave then, both of her hands suddenly reaching for them in any way that she could. “I-I don’t have enough _hands-_ “ She gasped, sounding near hysterical. “Or m-mouths-“

Steve’s low, rumbling chuckle practically reverberated through her as he bent to press a gentle kiss between her breasts, right against the bow. Tony and Bucky were attempting to soothe her whilst also pinning her hands gently to the bedcovers. “Easy, darling,” Tony urged, kissing her cheek lightly and licking away the last drops of Bucky’s come.

When she merely whimpered, drawing her bottom lips between her teeth and chewing it nervously, Tony smiled, shifting to put himself back between her legs and taking both of her wrists beneath his palms. He pressed them into the covers in an attempt to ground her and the sigh that left her, her entire body going pliant beneath his, told him all he needed to know.

“That’s it, Percy, take a few deep breaths for me. We’ve got all the time in the world, no need to rush and stress yourself. You said you don’t have enough hands, but I see two perfect ones right here,” He murmured, squeezing her wrists ever so slightly.

She exhaled shakily, a nervous smile tugging at her lips, now that she wasn’t holding her bottom one hostage. “And I see a perfectly kissable mouth right here too,” He murmured, leaning in and pressing the ghost of a kiss against her kiss swollen lips.

She melted even more so into the sheets, eyelashes fluttering as she let herself get lost in him and only him for the moment. Tony kissed her like a fire, all consuming, slowly building in heat and intensity until she was moaning with it, trembling in his arms and just _drifting_.

When he eventually pulled back, only a little, and nipped at her bottom lip, he let out a slow sigh that sent a shiver racing up her spine. “There’s my girl,” Tony whispered, nuzzling her temple and just breathing in her scent.

“Mmm,” She sighed, flexing her hands. “I still don’t feel like I have enough hands to get at you, let alone James and Steve too.”

Bucky and Steve chuckled while Tony simply smirked, pressing a kiss to her temple. “They can wait their turn, sweetcheeks. Like I said, all the time in the world,” He insisted, his hands slowly releasing his grasp on her wrists, only to caress down her arms, skimming over her breasts as he sat back.

She smirked a little, just a quirk of the lips and then she was grasping his biceps and twisting them, forcing him down onto the bed with her now successfully straddling his hips. He looked up at her in surprise, a laugh escaping before he could help himself, one that was fortunately cut off the second she shifted her hips back enough so that they were _finally_ in contact with each other.

He groaned, unashamed of the way his hips ground up against her. His groan was quickly morphing into a startled gasp when she shifted her hips just so, her warm, wet heat dragging back against his stiff cock. He’d been hard for what felt like forever and with her so goddamn _close_ to him, he didn’t think he could resist the urge to take her.

“Mmm,” Percy whispered, still rocking back against him slowly. “Something you want, Mr. Stark?” She attempted to tease, sitting up more fully and bracing her hands lightly against his abs.

Tony groaned, biting his lower lip as he gazed up at her in awe. “Yeah, I can think of a few things,” He muttered, surging up and capturing her lips in a deep kiss.

She inhaled sharply against his lips, whimpering as his hand came around to grasp at the back of her neck, holding her close. Her hands scrabbled against his chest for purchase and he didn’t think much of it, until her fingertips bumped against the edge of the Arc Reactor. 

She inhaled sharply at the contrasting coolness against his heated flesh. It wasn’t by any means cold, just cool and most discernibly metal and she immediately pulled back, both of her hands now resting flat against his chest, fingertips still gently resting at the edge of the Reactor.

Tony wondered what the matter was for all of half a second before he jerked in surprise as her fingertips ghosted against the edge of the Arc Reactor once again. “S-sorry, _sorry-_ “ He quickly muttered, grasping at her wrists and pulling them from his chest as coldblooded fear rushed through him.

Her face was pinched up in worry, _concern_ , not the heart-stopping _repulsion_ he was oh so familiar with. “Tony?” She asked, only concern shining in her eyes and reflected in her voice.

Tony swallowed, her wrists still clutched in his hands. When he made no move to speak, at a complete loss for words as it was, Percy shifted, sitting square in his lap. She tugged her hands very carefully free of his grasp and tentatively splayed her right hand beneath the Arc Reactor against his heated flesh. She could feel his rapidly beating pulse through his skin and she shifted her palm, smoothing up over his heart.

“Two hearts,” She murmured in wonder. “Y-you do have two hearts.”

Tony swallowed hard, watching as she gazed down at his chest, with only love and adoration shining in her dark eyes. He exhaled a very shaky breath, not having been aware he’d been holding it in the first place and nodded. “S-something like that,” He admitted reluctantly.

She shook her head, brows still pinched up in concern. She could vaguely hear the sounds of Bucky and Steve settling on the bed together and she flickered a glance towards them, only to sense and practically _see_ the concern radiating from them, their colours swirling and darkening- _dampening_ -in the otherwise darkness of her vision.

“I’m sorry, Tony,” She said quickly, turning her gaze back to the genius.

“Nothing to be sorry about, sweetheart,” Tony insisted, but his tone was off, caught completely off-kilter.

He knew this was bound to happen, he was just hoping that he could have prolonged it or somehow avoided it until sometime… _after_ they’d been intimate. He realized how stupid he’d been to think that was going to be at all possible and now he sort of wished he’d done it sometime before, well, _now._

“I knew you-I knew you had _two_ hearts, Tony. I just-I didn’t realize…” She trailed off uncertainly, hand skimming over from where it was perched over his actual beating heart, to settle against the only slightly cool casing of the Arc Reactor.

Tony swallowed, shrugging a bit. “It’s really not a second heart-“ He tried to protest and Percy stuttered out some form of a _very_ disagreeable noise.

“It shines just as bright as the other, just a different colour,” She insisted. “So, it must be a heart or at the very least something helping to _protect_ your larger heart,” She stated matter of factly.

Tony blinked at her, lips parting in absolute surprise. “That-“ He started, but trailed off, unable to form any sort of sentence.

“She’s sort of right,” Steve said gently, having shifted to sit up against the headboard, Bucky half draped across his chest as they observed the pair.

Tony inhaled deeply then and nodded. “She’s very right, but that’s still-“

Percy gave him this _look_ and Tony found that whatever he was about to say didn’t really matter anymore, because she was shifting against him again, her hand slipping to toy lightly with the edges of the Arc Reactor, thumb tracing along its rounded edge.

“It’s lovely, Tony. Kind of feels like the symbol I felt on your suit a while back…wondered what it was, but now I know…” She trailed off, smiling warmly at him as she ducked her head, looking all shy and demure all of a sudden. “Don’t you want to know what your heart colours are?”

Tony’s eyes widened, a look of curiosity flitting over his features and reflecting in the shimmer of his colours, practically sparkling with it. She smirked lightly, still looking up at him from beneath her lashes. Tony growled, catching on. His expression immediately hardened, albeit, _playfully_ so. “You’re never going to tell me anyway, _you_ _little sneak-_ “

She laughed, smirking darkly at him as she shifted in his lap, his slightly flagged erection slipping between her folds just so. They both exhaled a soft moan at the gentle contact and just like that, all worry, concern, anything that didn’t pertain to arousal and heat and flesh and _sex,_ went out the window, just like that.

“ _Tony-_ “ She breathed, the heat of his hands suddenly feeling like brands as he grasped her hips and surged up against her, latching his lips onto her neck and sicking a deep bruise there.

He groaned against her sensitive skin and then she was grinding down against him in a slow teasing swivel, pressing her breasts against his chest and trembling as she felt the Arc Reactor brush against one of her nipples. She hissed, back arching and hips moving deliberately slow but firm as she tipped her head back, both of her hands clawing down his chest and tweaking his nipples.

It was his turn to hiss in pleasure.

“Come on, sweetheart,” He gasped, nipping at her jaw. “Wanna' feel you so badly.”

She was too breathless to even bother replying and soon she was shifting her hips back, only to lift them a second later and slip one of her hands down between them. The first press of her warm, soft palm against his cock made him groan incredibly loud in the quiet bedroom, the sound vibrating against her throat and sending a shiver through her.

She chuckled, a dirty low laugh that made his abs tighten and flex and then she was wrapping her slim fingers around him and stroking him so easily, so perfectly, it made his head swim. He grunted, hips twitching up and she shuddered, letting the head of his cock-that was now steadily leaking pre-come-against the wetness of her sex. They both let out soft whimpers and then she was really teasing him, barely letting him slip inside before dragging the crown against her clit.

“We-we should probably have that awkward conversation about condoms and-and- _stuff-_ “ Tony gasped, hips bucking up, just shy of _actually_ trying to get inside of her.

“Ah-ah- _ah-_ “ She gasped, hips twitching as she let out an exasperated laugh. “Y-yeah, I’m clean and on birth control, so I think I’m good without, if you are. I never did mind making a mess,” She confessed.

Tony groaned, the thought of being bare inside of her making his cock twitch in her grasp. She bit her lower lip, nipping at his ear as she tucked her nose in against his temple. “You want to make a mess of me, Tony?” She teased.

Tony groaned… _loudly_. “Yes, please,” He breathed, arm having snaked around her hips and in one smooth movement, he was shifting her back and thrusting up inside of her wet heat.

She cried out in surprise, body tensing up delightfully around him and feeling nothing short of _exquisite_. He shuddered, hands clutching her hips almost too hard and then she was grinding down onto him and it was just so fucking _perfect._

“ _Tony!_ ” She practically shouted, her nails clutching at his shoulders.

He grunted at the sudden sting of her nails against his heated skin and he shifted, bucking up into her and at the same time, pulling her down onto him. One of his hands drifted up from her hip to clutch at the back of her neck, her long dark locks getting caught up in his grasp as he held her tightly and kissed her desperately hard.

She whimpered, practically melting into his embrace as he kissed her fiercely. She could do nothing but take it and _God_ , she’d never stop wanting to. “Jesus _Christ_ -“ Tony breathed, breaking their kiss and looking up at her like she was the most precious thing in the world.

“Ain’t got nothing to do with this-“ She gasped, a laugh getting caught in her throat as she tossed her head back and just _ground_ down onto him.

Tony moaned, eyelids fluttering shut and she bit down on her lower lip hard before placing the palm of her hand against his chest and giving him a good shove. Tony’s lashes fluttered and he looked up at her in question, but when he saw the heat in her eyes, the pure desire and _want_ shining back at him, he was powerless to refuse.

He let himself be pushed and soon she had him sprawled back on the bedcovers, his hands grasping her hips on just the side of too tight, but neither of them found they cared much when Percy was suddenly raising and lowering her hips, hands braced firmly against his abs as she started to ride him in earnest.

Tony’s eyes were wide, punched out groans escaping him each time she rose and fell on his cock, squeezing him so tight, the slow slick slide of her insides gripping him and making the slide so effortless. And dear _God_ , but she was so damn beautiful.

He found himself unable to even blink for a moment, watching the rise and fall of her body, her breasts still encased in all that black lace and beads of sweat standing out against her collarbone. Her skin was flushed, from her cheeks right down to her navel and her skin positively _glowed_. He could feel the heat of her, but it was nothing in comparison to the inside of her, like molten lava, so slick and tight.

He moaned helplessly loud, his own laboured breathing mixing with the sounds of hers. Her head was thrown back, eyes shut tight as she rode him, her entire body undulating, _rolling_ down against him in a way that he was sure should be illegal in every bloody state. Her thighs were flexing against his hips and he could see the muscles straining in her calves. He wondered how long he could keep her like this, how long before her legs just couldn’t lift her any more. He figured he wouldn’t be able to outlast her, not in the slightest, not with the way she looked, the way she was _squeezing_ him _just right_. 

She was positively _gorgeous_ and he needed to tell her, needed to tell her right fucking _now._ “ _Percy-_ “ He breathed, licking his lips, trying to get some moisture back into them; it felt as if his whole mouth had suddenly gone bone dry.

She gasped, voice ragged and her breaths laboured as she tipped her head forwards to look at him, a shiver running through her frame as she watched his swirling colours become dark, almost possessive, _desperate._ “You’re so beautiful, Percy. So goddamn beautiful,” He breathed, almost reverently, hands skimming up her sides and toying with the lace of her bra.

She jerked in surprise as his fingertips caught on the bow holding the front closed and she moaned when at the same moment, his other hand pinched her nipple through the thin fabric. Her eyelashes fluttered again and she whimpered, turning her head away from him and he could have sworn that the blush on her cheeks only darkened.

He licked his lips and tugged at the bow. “Most gorgeous present I think I’ve ever unwrapped,” He confessed, plucking at the bow and watching it give.

The heavy exhales from beside them definitely weren’t tempting enough to prevent his gaze from straying from her. The bra fell away and he barely had a moment to mourn the loss of the stark colour leaving her lovely skin before he let his gaze settle upon her breasts, the soft dusky pink of her nipples standing out, perky and so _so_ hard.

Like little pebbles.

He couldn’t resist brushing his thumbs against them as he cupped them ever so gently. The _sound_ she made at the gentle contact made his cock twitch heavily inside of her as her ass met his thighs much harder than he anticipated. He choked on a soft cry of his own, hips thrusting up against her as his thumbs continued to tease at her nipples, stroking and kneading her breasts now as she started to rise and fall harder, _faster._

He wasn’t going to last, he wasn’t going to last _at all_. He bit his lower lip and grasped her side, hand splayed around her ribs delicately as his other trailed down to grasp her thigh. “Sweetheart, darling… _Percy-_ “ He gasped, biting down on his lower lip hard as she ground down onto him and circled her hips, drawing them back and making him see stars for a long, sweet, agonizing moment.

“Yes-yes- _yes-_ “ She gasped, clearly working him in a way that was doing all sorts of wonderful things to her g-spot.

He groaned, eyelids fluttering for a moment as he tried to get a handle on himself, but then he was licking his lips and trying again, albeit, trying a slightly different tactic. He slipped the hand he’d had on her thigh in closer to her centre and pressed his thumb against her clit. She shuddered, a full-body thing and arched delightfully atop him and he was struck yet again by just how beautiful she was.

“J-just a little m-more, Tony. _Please-_ “ She begged, shifting her hips harder, faster and driving him absolutely insane in the process.

“Y-yeah,” He breathed, biting down on his lower lip and sliding his thumb against her clit hard and fast. “Not long here.”

She huffed out what he thought could have been a laugh, but he wasn’t about to care. The things she just _did to him_ would warrant his less than stellar finish. “Oh- _oh_ , Tony-d- _don’t stop-_ “ She suddenly gasped, hands gripping either side of his chest, clutching at his ribs and rocking herself on him harder and faster, wanting to chase the feeling of being full and at the same time, get his thumb rubbing her clit just on the right side of aggressive.

And just like that, he couldn’t take it anymore.

He surged up, a growl in his throat and flipped her effortlessly, a shout of surprise escaping her before she was crying out in pleasure as Tony started thrusting into her with wild abandon, hiking up her right thigh and opening her up to him all the more. She threw her head back, back arching and eyes shutting tight as Tony’s thumb came back to rub vigorously at her clit, wanting, no- _needing_ -her to come.

She writhed against him, her head jerking from side to side for a moment before she was tensing, her body clenching down around his length and making him groan as the first waves of his orgasm started to overcome him. He was just as lost to it as she was, her molten insides spasming around him and egging him on, begging for him to fill her, to reach that inevitable peak together.

It worked.

She came hard, a desperate whimper escaping her as she tried to buck against him and take more of him inside of her. He ground into her, gasping for breath as he fell forward, barely managing to brace himself with a hand against the bed as she reached up and clung to him, hands no longer fisted in the sheets as they rode out their orgasms together.

She was shaking against him as he continued to rub her clit, pace slowing as his hips stuttered forward a few more times, spilling his release inside of her. His cock twitched heavily within her and she moaned as she pinned her knees to his sides and then she was dragging him in for a heated, messy and altogether uncoordinated kiss and it was _beautiful_.

They were both shaking, barely kissing and more or less just panting against each others mouths as they shared one another’s aftershocks, Tony rocking his hips forward whenever he felt her walls clench around him and she jerking her hips whenever his thumb decided to give her clit a lazy swipe. When they’d managed to calm some, their breathing still laboured, but not so frantic, they shared a few more lazy kisses and Tony withdrew his hand from between her legs. She let her legs drop to either side of his hips, heels digging into the sheets.

She had both arms wrapped loosely around his neck as he pressed kiss after tender kiss against her lips, along her cheeks and down her throat. He never wanted to stop kissing her and he hoped that she’d never make him. “ _Fuck-_ “ Tony suddenly hissed, ruining her perfect orgasmic haze and making her laugh at the silliness of it.

He looked momentarily startled by her laughter and then smiled sheepishly at her as he drew his hips back, slowly softening cock slipping from her warmth. She moaned, breath hitching with the movement, but let him go all the same. “Sorry,” He apologized, a chuckle escaping him. “T-that was amazing, you’re incredible, by the way. Sorry I was less than stellar, you’re just-well, you’re just too wonderful apparently and I can’t hold any level of chill-“

Percy was staring up at him with probably the most amused look on her face that he’d ever seen and he stopped, mid sentence to just _look_ at her for a moment. “Tony?” She said gently and now she looked as if she were trying not to laugh outright at him.

“That was _incredible_ , you were incredible and I don’t know what all the talk about a _level of chill_ was…but I can assure you, there was no chill, just _heat_ and _sexy_ and _perfect-_ “ She trailed off in a groan as she rocked her hips against him, making him grit his teeth with the oversensitivity.

He exhaled shakily, licking his lips as he looked down at her. “Y-yeah, was totally all-all of those- _things-_ “ He said eloquently while making a sort of hand-wavey motion. “Love you so much."

She chuckled, reaching up and carding her fingers through his hair, feeling the dampness against her fingertips and smiling at him with adorable fondness in her eyes. “Mmm, it really was,” She murmured, nuzzling up against his neck and inhaling his scent, smelling his natural musk mixed with her sweeter scent along with a healthy dose of their sweat. “Love you too, Tony.”

She shuddered, wondering why she liked that so much but didn’t dwell on it for the moment, her attention drawn elsewhere when Tony turned his head to survey Steve and Bucky who were doing their very best impressions of children waiting patiently for their milk and cookies at snack time. He couldn’t help smirking at them, amused to see that Steve hadn’t been completely idle while they’d been having their fun.

He’d managed to work Bucky open a little, the brunette now rocking against the blonde’s hip with two fingers slipping in and out of his body, not in any hurry apparently, just wanting to tease, work-up, or _torment_ , if Bucky had anything to say about it. He shuddered at the image they presented and licked his lips. “Well, don’t you two look like you’re having fun,” He murmured gently.

Percy tipped her head to the side to survey them in the darkness, their colours having calmed some of their swirling, but that dominant deep purple still enveloping each of their auras. Bucky’s low groan made her inhale deeply as she watched Steve’s form shift against the brunette and then she too was shifting beneath Tony as the genius sat back on his heels, hands skimming down along her sides absently.

“Mmm, want to enlighten me, sweetheart? Tell me what Steve is doing to you, how it feels?” She urged, biting her lower lip teasingly as she looked to them with lowered lashes.

Bucky grunted suddenly as Steve crooked his fingers roughly. “N-not particularly, no,” He sassed, though it really lacked in the heat department.

She laughed then, shifting and turning onto her side so that she could reach out to him and run the palm of her hand up along the length of his thigh, feeling the muscle bunch and then relax beneath her inquisitive touch. She smirked, shaking her head in amusement. “You’ve got quite the mouth on you, don’t you?”

He huffed, but didn’t confirm nor deny her. Steve chuckled, pressing a kiss against his lover’s temple. “I could make him put it to better use…or I’m sure you could, if you asked him nicely,” Steve said lowly.

Percy pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, one of her hands still resting against Bucky’s thigh. Tony shifted to sprawl out at the foot of the bed, resting his head idly in the palm of his hand as he watched them with a lazy sated smile on his face, wondering just where this was going to go and eager to see them play it out.

“Oh, I’m sure I could,” She agreed easily, hand slipping up to tease lightly at his balls, making the brunette shift and squirm, legs spreading eagerly at her touch.

She smiled at the easy way he sighed, entire body relaxing at her touch only to then have Steve crook his fingers inside the brunette roughly, making him jerk, moaning loudly in surprise at the deliberate stroke against his prostate. “Oh, _Captain…_ ” She sighed, a shiver running through her at the sound. “I think he likes that…but something tells me he is all too eager to follow your orders, what about you though? Are _you_ eager to follow his…or _mine_ , for that matter?”

Steve’s low exhale reached her ears and the corner of her mouth quirked up in a smirk. “Hmm?” She prompted.

“I-“ Steve started, only to have to stop himself to swallow past the lump in his throat.

You see, Steve always gave the orders, was always in control, calm, cool, _collected_. It’d always been that way, even since before the serum when it’d just been he and Bucky. It just, it _worked_ , was just who he was, _is._ But sometimes… _sometimes_ , he liked to try and switch it off, but it rarely lasted long and he knew both Bucky and Tony were well aware of that, but he was sure Percy didn’t. So even if he wanted to, he knew he’d grow impatient and take up the reigns before she even knew what was happening.

He swallowed, pushed out a rough breath before trying again. “As much as I’d love to have you give the orders, Percy-“

“He’s incapable of being patient and letting you follow through with any plans you may have had, darling,” Tony said gently, fondness and sympathy evident in his voice. “And he looks like he’s far too impatient to even let you try-“

“Too far gone, is more like it,” Bucky said breathlessly, trying to keep himself from pressing back onto Steve’s suddenly idle fingers and fucking himself on them.

Percy’s gaze softened, her smirk turning into an easy smile. “Feel like weighing in here, Steve?”

He huffed, slowly withdrawing his fingers, much to Bucky’s displeasure. “Yeah, too far gone, too impatient, they’re not _wrong_ ,” He muttered. “I just-“ He stopped himself then, slipping out from his reassuring press against Bucky’s back, only to reach out for her and draw her into a heated kiss.

She moaned against his lips, Bucky’s thigh slipping out from beneath her hand. She was forced to brace herself against the blonde’s chest and then groaned loudly when she managed to _feel_ the sheer amount of muscles he’d been hiding from her. She whimpered as he pressed in closer, one hand tangling in her hair and the other skimming along her side, up higher to cup the swell of her breast.

After a moment of heated kisses, he drew back to breathe deeply in the space between them. “I _really_ want to fuck you, Percy and I don’t think I’m going to be able to hold back as much as I’d like to,” He confessed, nipping at her bottom lip before moving on to nip at her jaw and down the smooth column of her throat, noting with pleasure that Tony’s mouth had marked her nice and good.

She shuddered against him, hips rocking forwards without her say so as she tipped her head to the side to give him more access. “I don’t see how that’s even _remotely_ a problem, sweetheart,” She said breathlessly, moaning as he started rolling one of her nipples between his thumb and forefinger.

He huffed, shaking his head the barest amount, hand flexing in her hair only to release his hold and slide down the smooth plane of her back, feeling the strength of her spine beneath his fingertips. His breathing hitched as she pressed closer, arching against him as his hand found the curve of her bottom, fingers digging in to the smooth roundness of her. “Hands and-” He started to ask, hand having slipped back up to her side in an attempt to guide her, but she was already moving, gasping out, “ _Knees-_ “ Desperately.

He groaned as she pulled from his grasp only to twist and plant herself on her hands and knees, back bowing, muscles flexing along her shoulders as she moved to spread her legs to accommodate him. “ _Yes_ -“ She practically hissed as he pressed in, sure hands gripping her hips and tugging her back against him, just to grind on her a _little bit_.

He pushed out a rough breath, licking his lips as he let one of his hands smooth up along her spine, clasping her shoulder briefly and pulling her back towards him with his grip for only a second. She tossed her head back, body starting to shake with anticipation as he showed her a bit of his strength. “This okay?” He asked, swallowing thickly as he let his gaze rake along her body.

“ _Steve_ -“ She breathed. “It is _so okay_ , it’s not even funny. I love being on my hands and knees. Make me feel it, _come_ ** _on_** ,” She urged, pressing her hips back against him, loving the feel of his hard cock slipping between her cheeks.

He shuddered a bit, eyelashes fluttering as he tried to wrap his head around it all. “Y-you’re going to be the death of me, Percy,” He confessed, shuddering as he regained a bit of control, only to pull his hips back as he moved to spread her cheeks for him.

She dipped lower, braced on her forearms now as she looked back over her shoulder at him, but he missed it, because he was far too busy watching her sweet little pussy dripping some of Tony’s come, his spend slipping down her thighs and mixing with her own release and making a right mess of her. He groaned loudly, pure heat cutting through his gut at the sight and she trembled in his grasp at the desperate sound.

She realized what he must have been looking at and quickly shut her eyes, turning back and burying her face in the sheets as her thighs clenched, more of Tony’s release slipping from her; she moaned at the feeling. “Oh _Christ_ ,” Steve muttered, thumb dipping down to swipe through the mess and making her breathing go all thready.

“D-do you want me to wear a condom?” He rushed out.

She shook her head adamantly. “No, _God, no_ ,” She gasped. “Hurry up and get in me, Steve or _so help me_ -“ She threatened.

His only response was to chuckle breathlessly before taking a firm hold of himself and guiding his cock towards her dripping cunt. She whimpered as she felt the head of him press against her entrance and then she was forcing herself up onto her hands, arching her back delightfully for him, impatient as all hell to have him inside of her already.

He slowly began to press inside of her and her breathing hitched for half a second before it cut out completely as he rocked his hips forward, cock disappearing into her almost half way before he pulled back almost all the way out and then pressed back in slow and steady. Her head dropped forward between her shoulder blades and he blew out a ragged breath as he watched her for any signs of discomfort while his hands found her hips and squeezed her lightly, now buried to the hilt inside of her gloriously tight heat.

It was only then that he realized she was holding her breath. “Breathe, Percy. _Shit,_ ** _breathe_** ,” He ordered and the positively needy _whine_ she let out wasn’t exactly a breath, but it was glorious nevertheless.

She gasped, hands gripping the sheets tight, but her body gripping him impossibly tighter as she shifted back against him in a slow grind. He cursed under his breath and ignored Bucky’s breathy admonishment from beside them. She whined again beneath him and he smoothed his hands up her sides, watching and feeling as her body twitched at the gentle caress.

She was panting, hips keeping still but the muscles in her shoulders tensing and releasing as she struggled for composure. “T-that’s it, _Christ_ , you’re so fuckin’ _tight_ ,” He muttered.

She whimpered and suddenly clenched around him and his hands shot back to her hips to hold her probably just a touch too tightly, though she didn’t complain and merely let out one of those desperately needy whines again. “ _Percy-_ “ He warned, hissing through clenched teeth as she clenched around him again and tried to move her hips back against him.

She gasped out, little _ah ah ah’s_ , as she fought against his grip and relished in the fact that she couldn’t move him even an inch. She sank down lower against the sheets, thighs spreading on either side of his legs as she settled into her position. “Please, Steve. You have to move, _please_ ,” She begged, _whimpered,_ really.

He groaned, unable to keep himself from ignoring such an obvious plea and in that totally blissfully wrecked voice. He shuddered as he drew his hips back a touch over half way, feeling the slow slick drag of her inner walls clenching around his cock in an attempt to keep him inside. And then he was thrusting back inside of her.

The punched out sound she gave made him tense up for a split second as he bottomed out, but then the wrecked moan she let loose settled over him like a warm blanket and he started up a deep and easy pace he knew would have her moaning like that over and over and over again. His own moans were swallowed back, soft grunts escaping him and the occasional sigh of her name as his hands smoothed up her thighs, along her sides and at one point he was draped across her back, one of his hands grasping and kneading at her breasts as he continued to fuck into her slow and steady.

She was whimpering, mewling and cursing under her breath as she started to slam her hips back against him, desperate for harder, _faster._ Just _more._ “ _Steve-_ “ She whined, head turning as she fell to the bed, her arms incapable of holding her up any longer.

She clawed at the sheets, panting breaths escaping her as she tried to look back at him, take in all of his colours. “ _Harder-“_ She begged and he groaned, hands moving to grip her hips as he straightened up, no longer effectively draped over her back.

“Yeah?” He asked breathily. “Want me to fuck you harder? Faster too?”

She whined, turning her head back into the covers and he huffed out a strained laugh. “Come on, don’t get shy on me now, doll. You want it harder?”

“ _Yes!_ ” She shouted, cheek now pressing against the sheets as she turned her head, arms working to push herself up, but it was a futile attempt.

He growled at her, a hand smoothing up her spine and clasping possessively over the back of her neck, settling over her pearls, pressing just enough to get her to stay put. She whimpered desperately, shutting her eyes tight against the wash of pleasure that raced through her and pooled between her legs. “Tell me if it’s too much,” He breathed, hand leaving her neck when she nodded and he was sure she understood not to move as well.

Both of his large hands grasped her hips and then he was adjusting her just the way he wanted and fucking into her pointedly, all thoughts of slow and steady completely disappearing as he picked up a hard, deep and brutal rhythm.

She shouted, positively _keened_ with the sheer amount of pleasure that rocketed through her. Her hips bucked forward and then she was trying to meet his thrusts as best she could. She needn’t have tried, however, he was making sure she stayed right where he needed her, fucking into her hard and fast, on the perfect side of _rough_.

“That’s it,” He praised, grunting with the effort of holding back now that he knew she could take it.

His hips were snapping forward relentlessly and he knew he wasn’t by any means going all out, she wouldn’t be able to take that, but _fuck_ did it ever feel fuckin’ fantastic to let loose a bit. “You like it rough, sweetheart?”

She whined, nodding against the bedding before she was gasping out. “Y-yes, _yes!_ Oh God, _Steve!_ ” She shouted, whimpering and moaning near constantly as he continued to fuck her.

He groaned, eyes fluttering closed for a moment as he tried to collect himself, to just hold on for a bit longer. She felt so good, so perfect, so hot and wet and _tight._ He grunted, heat lancing through him, cock pulsing and twitching with its eager pursuit of pleasure. She was clenching down around him every time he drew back, the head of his cock barely inside of her at all and then it was as if her body was pulling him back in, _demanding_ that he stay there.

“You close?” He panted, one of his hands moving to grip her left shoulder and pulling her back towards him on the next snap of his hips.

But she was a moaning whimpering mess, barely able to keep herself up with the force of his thrusts and had completely missed his question. He took pity on her and removed his hand from her shoulder to settle upon her hip, keeping her in place with that hand as he reached around between her legs with the other. The second his middle finger came in contact with her clit, it was as if she’d been shot. 

The scream she let loose was bone meltingly hot and she writhed and fought against his grip, trying to chase the feeling of his cock inside of her and the pressure of the pad of his finger against her oversensitive clit all at once. He grunted, feeling her walls clutch at him rhythmically and he knew she was going to come any second.

“Steve! _Steve!_ ” She cried, managing to push herself up onto her hands in a last ditch effort to ground herself and rock her hips back against him.

He let her and wasn’t disappointed in the intensity with which she threw her head back at the next drag of his fingertip against her clit and howled as her orgasm overtook her, shudders wracking through her frame and making Steve’s hips stutter forward, completely out of rhythm as her body clutched at him, practically begging for him to come inside of her.

He grunted, moaning out her name as he pulled her up off her hands, a hand braced at the base of her throat as he ground up into her and held her firmly to his front. She whimpered, hips still twitching and little mewls escaping her as she pressed back against his perfect chest, feeling the strength at her back, the firmness of his pecks against her shoulders. She tipped her head back against his shoulder and he whined deep in his chest, hips jerking as he tipped over the edge, orgasm so powerful and all consuming that it nearly had him losing his balance with the force of it.

He belatedly realized that Percy had managed to still his ministrations against her clit with a delicate hand wrapped around his wrist. He moaned against her hair, breathing in shakily as his cock twitched heavily inside her wet heat, feeling it growing even slicker with his release by the second. He rocked his hips up into her and she whined high in her throat as she pressed back onto him as best she could. He still had a hand pressed firmly to the base of her throat, holding her steady while his other gripped her side firmly, probably hard enough to leave a light bruise, be neither of them seemed to care in the slightest at the moment.

“Oh-oh- _oh-_ “ She breathed, licking her lips and turning her head to try and get a look at him.

He pressed a kiss to her sweaty temple, her hair matted and sticking to her cheek. He licked his dry lips and tilted her chin even farther, bending easily to steal her lips in what should have been an awkward side kiss, but turned out perfectly. Because it was barely a kiss at all, really. Shared panting breaths in the space between them, lips bumping against one another and teeth nipping insistently at one another. “Wow-“ Steve managed to get out between strained breaths, lips starting to drift along her jaw and down the column of her throat, still nipping and licking as he went.

“Y-yeah-“ She gasped, stifling a whine as he suddenly bit down just above the string of pearls at the side of her neck.

He hummed against her skin and then laved over the spot as if to soothe the hurt away. She melted against him, his cock still twitching minutely between her legs as they both came down from their orgasms. “God, you’re _perfect,_ ” He breathed, both of his hands now smoothing down over her front and caressing idly over her breasts and down lower to smooth along her stomach.

She closed her eyes, trembling in his grasp as she turned her head away, practically _shying_ away from him. Steve clucked his tongue, making her still, breath stalling in her throat as his hand continued to rub small soothing circles against her belly. “You are so perfect, Percy. You have no idea how much I mean that,” He breathed, pressing his lips against her heated cheek, which he only just realized belatedly was such a deep shade of red, different from the rest of her flush.

He licked his lips and wanted to see if he could _taste_ the shy heat coming off of her skin. He groaned softly, hips twitching forward, despite his slowly softening cock. He knew he could go again in a minute, his refractory period was sort of non existent, but he wasn’t sure she would be up for another round quite like that and besides, Bucky was watching them with nothing short of the most hungry, _needy_ look on his face that he knew he’d be lucky if he even managed to _attempt_ to start up anything without getting an earful first.

But he needed to give her a moment to recuperate, see if she was even up for more or if she’d rather listen and watch, as much as she was able, as he took care of Bucky, the way he knew he needed. She was trembling against him and he smiled, pressing a kiss to her hot cheek before slowly starting to pull himself free of her heat. She moaned, eyelashes fluttering as she bent forward a little. He caught her easily as he pulled free, sitting back on his heels lightly and allowing her to sit in his lap for a moment.

She shifted, gasping softly and her thighs clenching with the sudden effort to keep from making a mess, to keep his come from slipping from her body. Steve was momentarily confused but then she was whining, embarrassment making itself known in her expression as she turned to look at him, only to twist her head away from him, ducking her head shyly. “You making a mess all over me?” He asked, voice gone breathy and low.

She whimpered, twisting her head farther away from him and he knew she had her eyes shut tight. “I-“ She tried and gave up, an embarrassed whine getting caught in her throat.

He smirked darkly, smoothing a hand down over her stomach, only to press lightly and have her turn panicked eyes on him as she could no longer keep herself tensed. He knew he could come a lot, was pretty sure he’d filled her up good and with Tony’s release already inside of her, he was sure she was nice and full of them. She whimpered loudly, twisting in his grasp, but he held her firm. “Go on, make a mess of me. You said you didn’t mind making a mess,” He breathed lowly.

“ _Steve-_ “ She managed to choke out, body finally stilling before going lax in his arms.

He chuckled, low and dirty against her ear and pressed a kiss to her temple. “That’s it, just relax for a moment. Let me hold you…before Bucky gets his hands on you and refuses to let go.”

She laughed lightly, still blushing furiously, but Bucky was huffing out a breath and smiling lopsidedly at the pair and drawing their attention. “Only if you want me to,” Bucky said gently. “Watching you two together, seeing you with Tony and now Steve… _jeeze_ ,” He muttered. “Don’t know how I’m going to compare.”

Steve huffed, nosing in behind her ear and Percy smiled over at him adoringly. “Mmm, is that what you’re worried about? How you measure up to _The_ Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, _Captain America?_ ” She asked breezily.

Bucky swallowed. “It’s a reasonable concern.”

“Is not-“ Both Steve and Tony said firmly.

“What they said,” Percy insisted, just as firmly.

Bucky huffed out a breath, shifting in his spot near Tony, flesh and blood hand gently rubbing along his inner thigh, teasing himself, apparently. She smiled at him then, shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous, James. Perfect and handsome and adorable and _sexy_ , but completely and utterly ridiculous,” She announced.

Tony and Steve snickered and Bucky’s lips quirked in a slow smile as he looked over at her from beneath his lashes. Steve shook his head, watching the two just staring at one another. “And that’s why we love you, Percy. Well, one of the reasons, anyway. You’re never afraid to say what’s on your mind, so long as it doesn’t embarrass you,” Steve said gently.

Percy spluttered and Tony snickered. “Or even when she starts off trying not to embarrass herself and ends up doing it anyway. It’s super cute,” Tony said easily.

Bucky sniggered, licking his lips as he shifted a smidge closer to where Percy was draped over Steve’s lap, apparently no longer caring that she was indeed making a mess of him. He licked his lips, gaze flickering down to where he could see some of his lover’s come dripping down the blonde’s thigh. “It is pretty adorable,” Bucky agreed, gaze flitting back up to look into her eyes.

“Well,” She started, her voice now a soft murmur as she realized his attention was starting to drift, his soft purple hues growing darker, his heart colour growing a little more brighter in the otherwise dimness. “I love you all too. Including all your little quirks, they’re what make you who you are and if that means that James acts ridiculous and I get to call him out on it, then that’s totally-“ She went on, giggling when Bucky interrupted her by reaching out and snatching her ankle, dragging her towards him.

She laughed, squirming as he pulled her towards him and out of Steve’s grasp, the blonde chuckling softly at her back. “You’ve got quite the mouth on you, don’t you?” Bucky shot back, mirroring her earlier words and grinning as he finally managed to pin her under him, both of her wrists now successfully pressed back into the covers.

She laughed delightfully, if still a little breathless, and then smirked deviously up at him. “You like my mouth, James?” She asked coyly. “Like listening to me talk?”

“You mean sass me?” He retorted, shifting between her spread legs and pressing his hips against her, the hard line of his cock slipping against the juncture where her thigh met her hip.

She licked her lips, looking up at him with a heat in her eyes that forced him to swallow a couple of times to clear it. “Do you think I’m sassy?” She asked lowly.

“In bed? _Definitely_ , not too sure where this side of you came from, but I like you like this, Percy,” He murmured, leaning down and nuzzling his nose against hers.

She chuckled, biting her lower lip gently. “I think you like more than just the sass that comes out of it. What else do you like about my mouth?”

Bucky inhaled shakily, flesh and blood hand flexing against her wrist while the metal one remained unmoving, unforgiving in its careful grasp on her. “The curve it takes when you smile…the soft pinkness of it…the deep red it takes on when you’ve been biting at your lips…and the way it gets all swollen and spit slick when you’ve got a cock stretching it open.”

She grinned cheekily at him, trying to calm her breathing as her heart tried to pick up a _very_ _not chill_ rhythm. “Didn’t think you’d be the kind to talk dirty in bed, James. I’m shocked,” She teased.

Steve snickered at her back, momentarily drawing their attention. “No, he tends to prefer to be _talked_ dirty too, what spills out of his mouth is usually dirty in an entirely different way,” The blonde informed them.

She smirked, still biting her lower lip hard as she turned her attention back to Bucky hovering over her. “Yeah? That true, James? You like to be talked dirty to?” She prompted.

Bucky shivered, licking his lips as he nodded. “Y-yeah, s-sometimes,” He stuttered, only managing to make her smirk turn that much dirtier.

“So…would you like it if I talked dirty to you?” She inquired.

Bucky inhaled shakily, but couldn’t bring himself to nod. “You don’t gotta’-“ He started to defer.

But her grin only spread, but only for a moment, because then she was letting her eyelashes drift down, her eyes almost completely closed before she peeked up at him from beneath her long dark lashes. “So you _wouldn’t_ like it if I started to tell you of all the filthy things I want to do to you?” She murmured lowly.

Bucky’s breathing left him in a little rush and she smiled deviously. “Because let me tell you, darling…my mouth isn’t just something pretty to look at,” She breathed.

Bucky grunted, rocking his hips forward slightly at the thought of how her perfect lips had felt wrapped around his cock earlier. “Oh, _I know_.”

She chuckled darkly, still smirking up at him. “Not what I meant,” She murmured, arching beneath him teasingly. “I’d really like to bend you over the side of this bed, maybe the sofa or the kitchen table and lick you nice and open.”

Bucky’s breathing hitched, his eyes going wide and so much darker at the same time; it was a pity she couldn’t see it, but she could see it in the way his colours darkened incredibly so. She bit her lip teasingly. “ _Oh_ , you like that thought, don’t you?”

Bucky forced himself to take a breath as he nodded jerkily. “Mmm, I thought so…” She murmured. “Steve was working you open earlier, wasn’t he? How many fingers did he have inside of you, hmm?”

Bucky’s breathing took on a harsher edge and she could feel the minute twitching of his thigh muscles bunching and relaxing between her own thighs. “T-two,” He admitted.

Percy groaned softly. “ _Two?_ Oh, I bet you can take more than that. Would you let me try sometime? Get you nice and wet with my pretty pink mouth and fuck you loose with my fingers?” She asked breathlessly.

“Y-yeah, _yeah_ ,” He gasped, rocking his hips against her a bit more forcefully.

She moaned softly, her own hips twitching up as she attempted to get him to release his grasp on her wrists so that she could reach out to him, draw him closer. “B-but I have to say, right _now?_ I _really_ want you to shove me up against a wall- _any_ wall-and fuck me deep and so _so_ hard, _James,_ ” She breathed, still looking up at him beneath lowered lashes and drawing her lower lip firmly between her teeth in what she hoped was a teasing display. “Or should I call you, _Bucky?_ ” She added darkly.

The growl that tore itself free of what sounded like the depths of his chest was animalistic and such a fucking turn on, it had her breath stalling in her chest and then all at once, she was being hauled from the bed in as gentle a grasp as he could muster while still practically wrenching her from the comfort of her back. She cried out in surprise as her back suddenly came in contact with the coolness of the wall, not hard by any means, but it was still a surprise to find herself scrambling to hold onto him, her legs wrapping around his waist tightly while her hands scrabbled for purchase against his shoulders.

When her right hand came into contact with the plates of his metal arm, she slid it up quickly to grip at the side of his neck, not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable about her having her hands on that part of him. “This what you want?” He demanded roughly, voice gone all to hell, laced so heavily with arousal it startled her. “Want me to pin you against the wall and fuck you rough? You like it rough, don’t you?”

She whimpered, back arching as she tipped her head against the wall. But then he was shifting his hips forward, adjusting his grasp on her as he slotted his dripping cock up against her wet heat. “The way Steve was fucking you so hard must have felt so fuckin’ good, _yeah?_ ” He prompted.

She moaned, nodding as much as she was able as she tried to shift her hips to make him slip inside of her. But he didn’t give her an inch, simply nipped at her jaw before latching onto the graceful column of her throat and _growling_ against her flushed skin. “Y- _yes-_ “ She admitted.

He groaned low and licked at the sensitive spot just below her ear before he was shifting her hips just so and thrusting up into her hard and fast. She shouted, entire body tensing only to start squirming immediately and demanding that he fuck her hard, make her come on just his cock and he was so fucking _gone._

The maddening heat of her molten centre, already so slick and filled with their lover’s come made it far too easy to fuck her just the way she wanted, just the way he _needed._ He’d been kidding himself thinking that he could fuck her slow and deep. He’d wanted that from the start, but this was their first time and he should have known it was going to be frantic and messy and frankly just fucking _filthy_ and he wouldn’t have traded it for anything else in the world.

He fucked her hard and deep, his pace picking up only when her little _ah, ah, ah’s,_ began turning to desperate whines, her hips bucking back against him in an attempt to make his thrusts harder. It worked. He braced his metal hand against the wall, flesh and blood arm cradling her lower back as he fucked up into her over and over again while both of her hands started to skim frantically over every inch of him she could reach.

She was whimpering loudly, soft keening cries escaping her lusciously red lips whenever he gave a particularly hard thrust and he buried his face against the crook of her neck, both chuffing like horses in the otherwise quiet bedroom. Her hands tangled up in his hair briefly, tugging impatiently to get his attention and then they were kissing, although it could be barely called such a thing. They bit at each other’s mouths, their lips red and raw, swollen from their aggressive kiss and then she was whining high in her throat, legs clamping down around his waist, the heels of her stiletto’s digging painfully into his ass, but he didn’t fucking _care._

Because she was coming on his cock without so much as a flick to her clit and crying out her pleasure as she threw her head back, her cunt clenching down around his cock almost painfully hard. He fucked her through it, enjoying the helplessly needy and high pitched sounds of oversensitivity she let loose with each one of his pointed thrusts.

He was losing himself in her, feeling her body clutch at him, not just her heat, but her hands, legs, anything she could control, she used to clutch at him. She was whimpering, begging him to come, to fill her up just like Steve and Tony had and he whined breathlessly as he buried his face against the side of her throat, hips jerking erratically as he let himself go, let himself fall into the helpless spiral of desire and chased his impending orgasm.

One, two, _three_ more thrusts and then he was there, gasping and shuddering against her throat, teeth sinking in harder than he meant to, a soft pained sound reaching his ears before he could bring himself to let go, just as his orgasm washed over him, seizing up his body, stalling his breath and making every single one of his nerve endings sing, practically on fire with a blinding intensity that left him completely breathless as his hips jerked, his release coming in white hot spurts so deep inside of her it had her moaning low in her throat.

Their breathing was ragged and Bucky barely had the wherewithal to lock his knees before they gave out on him and they both tumbled to the floor. She laughed lightly, feeling his momentary slip before he readjusted his stance and continued to support her. “Y-you can-“ She made a vague hand-wavey motion that had Bucky nodding.

“Th-that was great-“ He practically wheezed and she laughed breathlessly, nodding as he started to draw her back from the wall towards the bed.

She made a soft squeaking sound, but he huffed a laugh and held her tighter to him as she tried to hold on. “I won’t drop you,” He muttered petulantly and she snickered.

“Well, _excuse me_ for not being used to being _carried_ ,” She shot back and he laughed, smirking at her as he moved to lay her down onto the bed, cock still nestled deep inside of her, despite having softened a bit.

“And yeah, was _so_ great,” She agreed breathily after a moment of just lying there with him still pressed between her legs, body snug up against hers.

He chuckled, nosing in against her throat and kissing over the stark red marks their love-making had prompted and marvelling at how easy she was to mark. Any time he’d ever tried to mark up Steve, he’d heal too fast and Tony only let himself be marked below the neckline and they usually took a fair amount of work to stick, he didn’t exactly bruise easy and even he himself couldn’t get the marks to stick any more than Steve could. But Percy? _Oh_ , she marked up so nicely. Though now that he thought about it, he was sure they’d all be hearing about it when she realized and was forcing one of them to help her apply some makeup to hide them tomorrow.

Oh well, that was tomorrow’s problem. Sleep was the next thing on his to-do list, after he finished kissing her into the sheets, however. He vaguely wondered who had started that and decided it wasn’t really a priority problem to solve at the moment, not when her lips were so soft, pliant and _easy_ against his own. He shuddered as she shifted her hips and he was forced to pull out of her, a sigh escaping him and a soft hiss from her.

He immediately stilled, breaking the kiss and looking down at her in concern. “Did I hurt you?” He asked quickly, worry flashing across his features and reflecting in his colours.

Percy blinked in surprise, looking up at him in confusion. “N-no, no, I’m okay. Just sensitive- _tender_ -“ She amended, hands skimming up his chest and caressing over his pecs.

She was quickly becoming distracted with the way his chest was rising and falling, the muscles beneath her fingertips flexing and tensing and she licked her lips, fingers pinching lightly at his hardened nipples. He jerked in surprise, letting out a startled moan and she chuckled, quickly dropping her hands to rest on her stomach, blushing lightly as she looked up at him. “Sorry, but not sorry.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “You’re fine,” He muttered, rolling his eyes and she grinned at him.

“You totally just rolled your eyes at me, didn’t you? I could practically _feel_ it,” She told him.

He barked out a surprised laugh before he was shifting and dropping down onto his side next to her and drawing her into his arms. No sooner did he have her back pressed up against his front, did Tony find his way in to cuddle up against her front. She shivered, gasping softly as the genius’ hands skimmed up her stomach, only to caress her breasts gently, thumb swiping teasingly against her sensitive nipples. “Mmm, you look completely fucked out, sweetheart,” Tony told her in such a sleepy happy, _pleased_ voice, it had her chuckling as she leaned in to press a kiss to his eager lips.

“I am,” She said on a heavy exhale, sighing deeply as she settled into their warm embrace.

One of her hands was wandering over Tony’s hip a moment later in an attempt to find Steve though. She could see his light anytime she managed to actually open her eyes, hovering just over Tony’s shoulder and she really wanted them all closer. Steve chuckled and shuffled in closer, catching her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

She sighed in content. “I still say I don’t have enough hands or mouths to get at all of you.”

The men laughed lightly, Bucky shaking his head as he leaned in close and pressed his forehead between her shoulder blades. “I feel the same way most of the time, Percy. But there’s time, there’s always time,” Bucky insisted, nuzzling in against her heated flesh.

She hummed in agreement and then Steve was sighing. “I’m sorry to disrupt everyone’s post coital bliss-“

Bucky and Tony both groaned, _loudly_ , and Percy grinned dopily at her lover. “ _But_ -“ Steve went on. “We’re all a bit of a mess…Percy especially-“

She interrupted him with an embarrassed squawk which made both Tony and Bucky snicker and a very amused smile stretch across Steve’s face. “And the bed too, the bed’s a right off and I’m not about to change the sheets. So how about we all get cleaned up nice and quick and then go and crash in Percy’s bedroom and worry about cleanup here tomorrow?”

Percy hummed, nodding and yet she cuddled in closer to Tony and Bucky, completely going against what she was agreeing with. Steve rolled his eyes and Percy let out a very put upon sigh. “I heard that,” She muttered.

“What?” Bucky asked curiously.

“The sound of Steve rolling his eyes, of course,” She scoffed.

They burst out laughing and then Steve was grinning and dragging her from between his lovers and into his arms and they were all stumbling into the bathroom together and giggling like children as they got into the shower together. She should have known their shower was big enough to hold all four of them.

A short while later they found themselves tucked cozily into Percy’s queen size bed, albeit, a little more cozy than maybe they would like to be. Percy was draped half over top of Steve in the middle of the bed, straddling one of his thighs and half-draped across his chest, her hand tracing idle patterns against his skin. Tony was sprawled out on his back, taking up more room than Bucky thought was fair considering he was pressed up nice and tight against Steve’s side, barely managing to keep from falling off the bed, head resting against the blonde’s shoulder as his metal hand carded lightly through Percy’s wet hair.

But he wasn’t exactly about to complain. He was right where he wanted to be.

“I love you all…so, _so_ much,” She whispered into the darkness.

Except it wasn’t just darkness anymore. Their lights lit up all the spaces in between and she smiled as she tucked her nose against Steve’s collarbone and felt the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath her. “We love you too, Percy. More than I think you’ll ever know,” Steve whispered.

“It’s true,” Tony murmured. “I’ll never forget that day we met at the coffee shop.”

She smiled, closing her eyes. “Me either,” She admitted.

Tony scoffed. “You ruined a perfectly good suit after all!”

“ _Tony!_ ” She shouted in obvious surprise, squirming and moving to tickle him.

He laughed gleefully and it took them a few minutes before they all calmed down, Percy now half draped over him and straddling one of his thighs, with Bucky spooning Steve beside them. “Sorry, what I meant to say was-“ Tony cleared his throat. “I knew you were special too, Percy. Knew I’d stumbled across someone _good_ , someone so genuinely _kind_ and I-“ He swallowed hard. “I love you too, Percy. Is what I meant to say.”

She smiled warmly, nuzzling against his collarbone as she breathed in the scent of him. A moment or three passed by and then Bucky was breathing out slowly. “Never thought I’d be this lucky,” He admitted. “To find three incredible people that light up my life and just…” He trailed off, shaking his head as he nuzzled against the back of Steve’s neck, breathing in shakily.

“Love you for who you are,” Percy finished quietly for him, her free hand shifting and reaching out to lace through Bucky’s metal fingers, drawing his hand around not only Steve’s waist, but her own.

Bucky swallowed hard and nodded and she felt Steve shift to press a kiss against the back of her head, his breath ruffling her hair slightly. “Good night, my loves,” Steve murmured after a beat, and they were all treated to a chorus of the same sentiment in gentle sighs as they started drifting off to sleep.

 

Epilogue

Early the next morning, Percy stirred, finding her nose smushed up under Tony’s armpit and trying desperately not to giggle as she slowly extricated herself. She really had to pee and somehow Bucky had taken up Steve’s place at her back and Steve was the one sprawled out on the other side of him, flat on his back and sleeping soundly. She smiled, shaking her head lightly as she managed to get half out of bed, only to have Tony’s hand snag her wrist.

“Whassa’ matter?” He slurred, voice heavy with sleep.

She huffed, smoothing her hand over his knuckles. “Nothing’s the matter, Tony. I just have to use the bathroom and get some water. I’ll be right back, go back to sleep,” She reassured.

He grumbled something of the affirmative and then shifted, turning back to nuzzle in against Bucky who readily accepted him, arm winding around him and hand pressing lightly against his lower back to keep him in place. She smiled fondly and tried to reorient herself in her bedroom before she headed towards the bathroom to relieve herself.

When she returned to the bedroom, however, her gaze caught sight of something out of place; a dim green glow in the darkness on her dresser. Her head titled curiously as she watched it, but it didn’t move or do anything unusual, really. She frowned, walking towards it and reaching out to tentatively touch it. She startled at the unexpected silky texture and shifted, cocking her hip as she leaned against the dresser and picked up the silk piece.

The sudden green aura the fabric had been swathed in fell away then and she could no longer see it. She blinked, trying to see if it would come back, but it didn’t. She unfolded it and realized with a little more than curiosity that it was some kind of silky lace robe. She could feel the sleeves, the ties and the delicate scalloping of the lace around most of the trim. Her brows furrowed, glancing towards her lovers who were still sleeping soundly in her bed and then returned her gaze back to the robe in her grasp.

She wondered if they’d brought it with them, she didn’t remember being given one, never remembered owning one quite like this either. She wondered where it had come from, but didn’t bother dwelling on it for long when her throat clicked at her next attempt to swallow. She was positively _parched_ and was in desperate need of some water. So she shrugged into the robe and tied it up, double lopping the extravagant bows over her left hip.

She smoothed her hands down the front of the silky fabric and marvelled at how well it fit her and how utterly soft it was. She wondered what colour it was all the way to the kitchen where she eagerly poured herself a glass of water, drank it and then poured herself another. While she was in the process of drinking her second glass, she saw a flash of gold in the darkness towards the balcony windows. She knew Parker was with Clint and Natasha for the evening and the momentary thought that he was in the apartment washed away into a curious quirk of her lips.

She lowered her now empty glass to the counter and headed towards the balcony doors. No sooner did she step outside, the door safely shut behind her, did she catch sight of a green and gold figure in the darkness. She tried to cover up her pleased smile as she walked towards the edge of the balcony, hand tentatively reaching out and searching for the railing. When she found it, she let herself lean on it easily, letting out a soft sigh before she tipped her head towards the figure.

“Loki,” She said in way of a greeting.

The demi-god chuckled lowly. “ _Ah_ , so it would appear you truly can see me.”

“This is your magic that lets me see, is it not?” She asked gently.

Loki sighed, shaking his head as he glanced sideways at her. “No, ’tis not mine. I merely bestowed another’s magic upon you.”

Percy hummed, shrugging lightly. “Well, you still gave it to me.”

He nodded slowly, eyeing her curiously. They stayed quiet for a while, Percy’s gaze settled out over the city while Loki slowly let his own return to do the same. “Why did you come back?” She asked after a while, voice calm, easy.

Loki shifted. “Thor told me something, something about what you could and…could not see,” He said carefully.

Percy nodded, not bothering to look down at herself. She was sure she would only see darkness. She didn’t want to dwell on it, it bothered her too much to let herself get lost in thoughts of why she couldn’t see her own colours. “You still don’t believe you deserve this,” Loki said, and it wasn’t phrased as a question, merely a statement of fact.

She hummed, not really confirming nor denying it. “So you came back to tell me I do or don’t deserve it? Will you take it from me?”

Loki stared at her, body twisting so that he could look at her properly. Her eyes were closed as she kept her head turned towards the city and he wondered why on Earth she would think such a thing. She didn’t look angry or sad at either prospect though. Her face carefully kept blank.

“I will not take it from you and I will not tell you that you do not deserve it. You already know that I believe you do,” He stated calmly.

He watched as her shoulders shifted just a touch and he realized she had been tense. She was worried he would take it from her. She shrugged, sighing and tipping her head towards the balcony railing. “I don’t know what I can do with this… _ability_ ,” She confessed. “Perhaps it is simply something for me to use for just, _me._ ” She murmured, shaking her head. “Seems awfully selfish.”

Loki chuckled, smirking at her as he let his gaze sweep down her frame. “We are allowed to be selfish once in a while, are we not?”

At this she laughed, smiling as she turned her gaze towards him. Her eyes scanned him, taking in all his multitudes of colours, noting the golds, greens and deep blue that looked almost black; _raven_. “I suppose, just once in a while,” She agreed after a long moment.

He felt a shiver rush through him at the way her gaze bore into him. He felt as if she were able to see right into his very soul and he didn’t exactly care for it. But he’d been trying to suppress any aura he might have and had obviously failed spectacularly. _Oh well_.

He swallowed, turning away from her once again and making her do the same. “You should be sleeping…after such a busy night,” Came his knowing comment.

She smirked, her cheeks heating in the darkness of the morning, the Sun not having risen just yet. “Ah,” She whispered, shifting awkwardly on her feet. “Needed a glass of water.”

“I’m sure you did,” He murmured.

“Is this why you came here? To tease me?” She chuckled, but he could tell she was embarrassed, although still admittedly curious as to why he was actually here.

He shrugged and his answer was out of his mouth before he could think better of it. “I wanted to see you for myself.”

“See me?” She asked right back.

Loki stalled, surprised at his own confession. “See how you were doing,” He amended. “Thor was concerned.”

“Oh, and I suppose you care when he is concerned?” She asked, something lacing her voice that he didn’t particularly care for.

“I do care,” He snapped in annoyance. “He’s my brother,” He blurted before he could stop himself.

The slow smile that spread across her face made his skin crawl and he scowled at her. “You have a way of making a God say things he doesn’t actually mean to say aloud, _Persephone,_ ” He chastised.

She laughed, the sound flowing through him and making his skin heat with, was that a _blush._ He scowled over at her even harder, watching as her smirk grew. “You’re angry,” She stated, watching his colours shift. “Did I push a button?”

He took a slow calming breath then, his anger fading rather quickly at that. “I have no buttons to be pushed,” He stated firmly.

“Of course not, because you’re a God, right?” She murmured, straightening up.

He took a slow steadying breath, not wanting to rise to the bait, but it was tempting. He hadn’t had a good quarrel in a while, but really, she wouldn’t be any match for him; still, the banter was its own kind of fun. “So, you care,” She went on after a moment. “You care about Thor being concerned, does that mean you are also concerned about me?”

Loki blinked, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I bestowed a gift upon you, Persephone. I merely wished to see that his concern was unwarranted and that you are indeed well and you are, so-“

She smiled at him, one hand resting lightly on the balcony’s railing as she observed him. “I am well,” She agreed, but there was something missing in her eyes, a light he realized belatedly, one that he had seen the night he’d changed her forever.

He shook his head. There was a spark missing, put out since he’d given this ability to her and he didn’t care for it. “Why don’t you believe that you deserve this gift?” He asked curiously.

She sighed, shrugging lightly as she turned slightly away from him, looking back towards the penthouse and seeing only darkness therein. “I’ve told you why, don’t make me repeat myself.”

Loki frowned, watching her quietly. She shivered slightly in the morning chill and her robe shifted down off her one shoulder. She didn’t seem to bother with fixing it, gaze still staring off into the void. He swallowed, wondering what she might be thinking and decided he didn’t like any of it.

“I see you found my gift,” He said instead, stepping into her space and adjusting the bit that had fallen.

She startled only a little and he gave her credit for that much, enjoying the way her cheeks darkened at his closeness. He let his gaze travel along her frame, knowing that she was naked beneath it and feeling a little thrill run through him at the thought. And then he caught sight of the hickeys littering her neck and the string of pearls and he couldn’t suppress his amused smirk.

“Thank you for the robe, Loki,” She murmured, stepping away from him carefully.

He exhaled slowly. “You’re welcome.”

She smiled then and turned her gaze away from him, looking back towards the penthouse. “You didn’t really need to get me another gift though, The Sight is plenty special enough.”

Loki visibly relaxed. “I was being selfish,” He confessed on a sigh, apparently unable to not say what he meant around this woman.

She quirked a curious brow in his direction, giving him this _look_ , which he thought was all kinds of intriguing. She chuckled a moment later, before he could somehow make himself sound even more the part of a mid-guardian idiot and saved him from himself, sort of.

“Thank you, Loki. You know, you should come to breakfast on Sunday. Everyone is getting together for a late breakfast next weekend and I’m sure Thor would be delighted if you came for a visit,” She offered.

Loki stared and then stared some more and then managed a, “ _Why?_ ”

She smiled at him warmly, looking as if she were ready to explain something to a small child, not the God of Mischief. “Because you’re Thor’s brother and my friend and I’m inviting you,” She said easily.

“Your friend…” He stated flatly.

Her smile softened as she nodded. “Yes, my _friend_. Friends look out for one another and I’m pretty sure that’s what this is. So, like I said, you should come to breakfast next Sunday, around ten-”

“They won’t like that,” He blurted, steamrolling over the fact that she’d just called him her _friend._

_Of all things._

She chuckled. “Thor will be pleased and you shouldn’t be worried. From what I gather, most of your tricks as of late haven’t exactly been as severe in nature as your first,” She informed him.

He swallowed thickly, still staring at her in complete and utter disbelief. “I-I suppose not.”

Her smile spread then, looking far too pleased with herself. “Then I’ll see you on Sunday at ten,” She murmured, moving to slip past him and clasping a hand over his shoulder as she passed.

The second she made contact with him, hand still pressed lightly over the curve of his shoulder, she saw a flicker of a foreign colour, not belonging to him. She stilled, staring at what appeared to be her own hand and the bright nearly fuchsia colour. She swallowed and let her hand slip from his shoulder and as she passed, he saw that spark light behind her eyes again. He wondered what she saw.

He belatedly heard the sound of the sliding glass door behind him as she disappeared behind him and then he was alone on the balcony. He turned around, but she was already half-way across the apartment, robe billowing out behind her as she walked, the deep forest green of the silk reflecting on the overhead lights, the gold leaves and symbols of protection he’d woven in with his magic glinting in the low light.

He swallowed past the lump in his throat and watched as she disappeared into her bedroom, the one where he knew Steve, Tony and Bucky were sprawled out and sleeping soundly in. He inhaled deeply, casting a glance out over the city. “See you Sunday, Persephone,” He whispered, voice carrying off with the morning breeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for sticking with me on this. <3 I truly appreciate all the comments and kudos. I hope it's what you all hoped for in an ending. <3


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